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tt0102536 | Night on Earth | === Los Angeles ===
As evening falls, tomboy cabby Corky (Winona Ryder) picks up Hollywood executive Victoria Snelling (Gena Rowlands) from the airport, and as Corky drives, Victoria tries to conduct business over the phone. Despite their extreme differences socially, the two develop a certain connection. Sometime during the ride Victoria, who is evidently a talent scout or casting director, discovers that Corky would be ideal for a part in a movie she is casting, but Corky rejects the offer, as she has plans to become a mechanic.
=== New York ===
Helmut Grokenberger (Armin Mueller-Stahl), an East German immigrant who was once a clown in his home country, now works in New York as a taxi driver. He picks up a passenger named YoYo (Giancarlo Esposito), a streetwise young man, and attempts to drive him to Brooklyn. Helmut has difficulty driving with an automatic transmission, so he allows YoYo to drive. On their way, they pick up YoYo's sister-in-law Angela (Rosie Perez). The story revolves around Helmut's attempts to understand and become a part of the culture of New York City.
=== Paris ===
A blind woman (Béatrice Dalle) goes for a ride at night with a driver (Isaach De Bankolé) from the Ivory Coast. They both take some verbal jabs at each other during the ride. The driver asks his passenger what it's like to be blind and she attempts to explain to him, but their cultural differences and differences of life experience make things difficult. After he drops off his blind passenger, he feels fascinated by her and gazes in her direction. This inattention to driving causes him to crash into another car, whose driver angrily accuses him of being blind. An ironic twist at the end of the segment turns upon a French pun near the beginning of it: When the driver states his nationality as "Ivoirien," some other Africans mock him with the punning phrase "Il voit rien" (he can't see anything).
=== Rome ===
In the early morning hours, an eccentric cabbie (Roberto Benigni) picks up a priest (Paolo Bonacelli). As he drives, he starts to confess his sins. Much to the priest's discomfort, he goes into great detail about how he discovered his sexuality first with a pumpkin and then with a sheep, then details a love affair he had with his brother's wife. The already-ailing priest is shocked by the confession, and has a fatal heart attack.
=== Helsinki ===
After an evening spent drinking heavily, three workers (Kari Väänänen, Sakari Kuosmanen, and Tomi Salmela), one of whom has just been fired from his job, climb into a cab to return home. On the way, the workers talk about the terrible situation their now-unconscious friend is in, by being out of work and having to face a divorce and a pregnant daughter. The driver, Mika (Matti Pellonpää), then tells them all the saddest story they have ever heard. The workers are terribly moved and depressed by the story, and even become unsympathetic toward their drunken, laid-off companion. As they arrive home, the sun is beginning to rise. | comedy, humor, psychedelic, storytelling | train | wikipedia | A stylish Hollywood casting agent mounts a cab in L.A., in New York it's a hapless poor man trying to get home, in Paris we encounter a blind woman, in Rome a priest and in Helsinki a bunch of drunks will tell their story.
Stories are told, because each episode is an encounter with the respective cabbie, who all have a life and a past of their own.Wynona Ryder's performance of the 20-year-old, chain-smoking taxi driver does not work very well and also makes for the least interesting story.
Before Rome we visit Paris with the most mysterious, yet most catching segment, a curious story about the afore-mentioned blind woman and a black cab driver, who - we can't be sure - might be going blind himself (he's very short-sighted and therefore has problems with driving his taxi) and has a lot of questions to ask.
People leave their places and go about their lives - the world moves on, none of the stories has an ending, life for each of the characters (except one) will continue.What's so great about this movie is that it tells such different stories with such different characters who all have different pasts and intentions, each accommodating the place of action (even visually - in L.A. even the buildings appear to be candy-flavored, while in Helsinki the city is cold, drab, yet hopeful) and it all comes together to this huge picture, which reminds us that we are all different but all live on the same planet and know similar things about life, death and everything in-between.
National Geographic has nothing over Jarmusch's photographic talent.All segments are well written and tie in with the respective cities that are the back drop of the film: LA, NY, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.
Jim Jarmusch, a director who never neglects to find the time for the little moments, glances, exchanges in dialog, that bring out the better (or lesser) in people, puts his skills to full force in Night on Earth.
The film is actually 5 short films of around twenty minutes, each one a taxi journey, taking place at the exact same moment in 5 cities across the world, from LA to Helsinki, via New York, Paris and Rome.Without ruining the surprises contained (its unexpectedness is one of its delights) the film covers numerous emotions.
I started to love this movie, and I was well prepared for the Paris episode, which is, in my opinion the best, the most satisfying of them.I found the story of the Roberto Benigni episode rather stupid, but his talent in exaggerating (so he did this even seven years before 1999's Oscar ceremony!) made up for it.Then, the huge contrast: The liveliest episode is followed by the dreariest.
The first of five segments (in L.A.) deals with Winona Ryder (in a broad, self-conscious performance) as a cab driver who picks up Gena Rowlands, who wants to put her in a movie.
What Jarmusch is going for is to contrast the social classes -- he has an obvious, unfunny line where Ryder's character says she's never been to the executive terminal at the airport before -- but what's really interesting is seeing, since Jarmusch is usually a male-oriented director, how he handles women (one a tomboy, one in a position of power).It's obvious that the little idea of a movie about four taxi cab drivers is just a thin story that gives Jarmusch an excuse to work with certain actors, like Rowlands, whose late, great husband he adores.
He goes for cultural miscommunication in the New York story (which is the film's most tender and brotherly), the warring cultures within a city, where a black man (Giancarlo Esposito) who can't land a cab fights with his Puerto Rican girlfriend while being badly driven around by former circus clown (Armin Mueller-Stahl, in a goofy, charming performance).
Roberto Benigni is excellent as the offbeat cab driver who likes the company of pumpkins and sheep, and his funny segment is juxtaposed quite beautifully with the more heartfelt and raw finale.
My favourite segment, however, is the equally funny New York section starring Giancarlo Esposito, which is basically a culture clash between a working-class New Yorker and a foreign immigrant's first night driving a taxi.
During one night, taxi drivers in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki interact with their passengers while driving them to their destination.
But even in its best moments, "Night on Earth" is slight, some performers more pleasing than others — a difficulty when some segments are damaged by particular characters.The first vignette, set in Los Angeles, stars Winona Ryder as the cab driver, Corky, Gena Rowlands as the passenger, Victoria.
This segment, though dampened by Ryder's unconvincing portrayal of a grungy youth with small dreams, makes an impression thanks to the always lovely Rowlands, who makes what could be an unlikable character affectionate, motherly even.The second, stationed in New York and headed by Armin Mueller-Stahl, Giancarlo Esposito, and Rosie Perez, is the second most annoying of the segments: driver Stahl, a German immigrant, hardly knows how to drive, so his customer Esposito takes over the wheel and loudmouths his way through awkward silences.
The segment works so well because of the rapport between Dalle and Bankolé — whereas the other shorts attempt to have the characters find a mutual understanding between each other, Dalle and Bankolé's mutual curiosity/disdain bears an odd sexual tension, fascinating just enough to leave us potentially wanting more but backing off when considering just how well it works.I won't go far into the fourth sequence (set in Rome), which is jaw-droppingly irritating as comedian Roberto Benigni delivers a mile-a-minute performance as a cab driver who just won't shut up.
While I appreciate Jim Jarmusch's enviable ability to turn realism into sardonic astuteness, "Night on Earth" feels more like a filmmaking exercise than an actual film.
The stories range from flat-out hilarious to surprisingly moving, taking place in Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.
The worst segment by far is the Rome one, where Roberto Benigni plays a sunglasses-at-night kind of driver who loves to talk.
You get a glimpse of the dark side of the aura if you follow De Niro's Travis Bickle in "Taxi Driver", and for the rest feel free to join independent film-maker Jim Jarmusch on five rides through L.A., New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki and see what the night has to offer.Writer/director Jarmusch celebrates the synchrony of events happening in various cabs all over the globe, where drama, fun and tragedy all take place at the same time while the earth takes another turn around its axis.
As I said, I'd like to make a reference to the taxi drivers: the first one, played splendidly by Winona Ryder is a compulsive smoker who looks and acts like a boy and cares about nothing else than her work and becoming a mechanic; the second one, played by a phenomenal Almin Mueller Stahl, is a man who is apparently driving a car for the first time; the others include Roberto Benigni (and I think with that you can imagine the character), a black driver played by Isaach De Bankolé and a driver named Mika played by Matti Pellonpaa.
There are excellent performances from great talents like Rosie Perez and Wynona Ryder, and a wonderful early glimpse of Roberto Benigni as the very explicit Italian taxi cabdriver in a scene that is absolutely hilarious.
Jim Jarmusch does a great job with vignettes, as we've seen in "Mystery Train" and "Coffee and Cigarettes." Here he unites the world with the same incident -- someone taking a cab -- but different experiences in different cultures.Gena Rowlands is a casting agent landing in LA and being picked up by an offbeat taxi driver (Winona Ryder); Armin Muller-Stahl is an ex-German clown driving a cab in New York who picks up Giancarlo Esposito (who ends up driving) and later Rosie Perez; Isaach DeBankole is a taxi driver in Paris who throws three idiots out of his cab and picks up a blind girl (Beatrice Dalle); Roberto Begnini is a taxi driver in Rome who confesses all kinds of sex acts to the bishop he's driving (Paolo Bonacelli); and Matti Pelonpaa is a cab driver in Helsinki who tells his sad story to his passengers.Each vignette is wonderful and indicative of the country in which the characters reside.
Mind you, the first-rate cast is fantastic, with Gena Rowlands and Rosie Perez making quite an impression (although Winona Ryder flounders in a distracting performance as a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking cab driver who dreams of becoming a mechanic), but the episodic nature of the movie neuters and neutralizes all.
At the same time, in five world metropolises (LA, NY, Paris, Rome and Helsinki), five taxi drivers have unusual night rides, through which we get to know various life stories.
In what is possibly one of the most accomplished and ambitious films among Jim Jarmusch's quite extensive work, we are presented with five occasionally entertaining, humorous and moving stories which take place in five taxis, each driving through their respective cities at night.
This is probably one of most notorious difficulties the film suffers from, as, for instance, the story starring Roberto Benigni most likely entirely differs from the mood of the previous ones and the last story; personally, this story was the one I liked the least, although it was entertaining, if maybe a little bit absurd at times.
Jim Jarmusch's experiment is a succession of 5 "short" films, all taking place in a taxi, at night - hence the title - in various cities.
She feels that Ryder would be perfect for it so Ryder must make that decision.The second ride is in New York City with a German immigrant who picks up Yo Yo and his sister in law, Rosie Perez and they show him the highlights of Brooklyn.Number three is in Paris with a blind French passenger being driven by an African driver.
Jim Jarmusch's film Night on Earth is a series of taxi cab encounters, each of which is set in one of five major cities around the world.
In Los Angeles, harried Victoria Snelling (Rowlands) thinks her sweary, tomboy driver Corky (Ryder, not so much chain-smoking as absorbing whole cigarette packets through osmosis) would be perfect for the film she's casting - only Corky turns her down.Over in New York, an East German clown-turned-cabbie (Mueller-Stahl) who doesn't know how to drive, teaches sceptical YoYo (Esposito) the virtue of patience.
Meanwhile, in Paris, two outsiders - Béatrice Dalle's sharp-tongued blind girl and her sullen driver (De Bankolé), a victim of racial prejudice from the Ivory Coast, reach an understanding.That same night, in Rome, Benigni's cabbie talks his holy passenger to death while making his confession, and, in Helsinki, a laid-off industrial worker and his colleagues (Väänänen, Kuosmanen and Salmela) meet a taxi driver (Pellonpää) with rather more to be depressed about.
And there's little delights to be found tucked away within these red-eyed meditations; not least Tom Waits' clanking score - evoking the ghosts of New Orleans and Kurt Weill via Captain Beefheart.Night On Earth isn't Jarmusch's best movie - despite some good turns from the cast, it's too uneven, and the weaker segments (Los Angeles, New York) could have been excised without any loss of quality or coherence.
As you probably know, the film takes place in five taxi cabs in five different cities on the same night.
The Helsinki segment seems to end the film on a sad note but in my opinion, it actually says more: Although we sympathize with the two "talking" passengers since they sympathize with the taxi driver, it is again these two who are inconsiderate to their friend.
And yet, with his incredible insight into the human soul and what makes it tick, Jarmusch makes every one of his characters come to full life even though there are no internal monologues, no revealing close-ups; Jarmusch creates his characters solely through their behavior; and he understands people so well, that in doing so he completely transcends the boundaries of language, culture and nationality.Like Jarmusch's previous film, 'Mystery Train', 'Night On Earth' gives us several different stories about different characters from different backgrounds.
This time, though, there is not the slightest connection between the stories, except a thematic one: we are shown five stories taking place in taxi cabs in five different major cities around the world.The first story takes place in Los Angeles, and in it is a twenty year old (but she looks seventeen at most!) Winona Ryder, fresh from her break in Beetle Juice and Edward Scissorhands, who plays a young, perky, smart-ass, chain-smoking taxi driver and gives one of the most brilliant performances of her career; opposite her is another terrific actress, Gena Rowlands, as an uptight, busy Hollywood agent.In the second story, taking place in New York, black Brooklyn native YoYo (Giancarlo Esposito) has a hard time getting a cab in Manhattan, and is finally picked up by Helmut, clown-turned-taxi driver, Eastern German immigrant on his first day at the job (and his first day on an automatic, as well).The third story is located in Paris, in which Isaac De Bankole (the unforgettable Raymond the ice cream man from 'Ghost Dog') plays a taxi driver who's having a bad day, as he picks up a blind woman (Beatrice Dalle) who doesn't make him feel much better.The fourth story, taking place in Rome, is practically full-out Italian comedy, with Jarmusch's old friend Roberto Benigni plays a bizarre taxi driver who's giving a bishop (or is he?) a hard time for his money.Finally, in the fifth story, located in Helsinki, the wonderful Matti Pellonpaa plays Mika, a cheery yet melancholy driver, who picks up three young drunkards and shows to them the true nature of pain.Each one of these stories has a very distinct and unique atmosphere, ranging from comedy to drama, and revealing, often, the different mentalities of the different countries; the humanity, though, runs all the way through.
But it is Roberto Benigni as the late-working driver who picks up a fare long into the night in Rome that separates this movie for me.
5 nights in 5 cities; Paris has Beatrice Dalle playing a blind person - nice juxtaposition of character considering previous roles, NY where the passenger takes the wheel is great as is Rome where Roberto Benigni makes his second appearance in a Jim J film.
I think that the true beauty of this film is that it takes five characters, five taxi drivers, little different than any other people you'd be likely to meet (with the possible exception of Begnini's character and his sheep), and it shapes their experience into a coherent story, at times humorous, at times touching.
Anyway, this is a collection of five short stories filmed at night in five cities, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki.
In general the short scene playing in NY out of the movie "Night on Earth" with Jim Jarmusch as the director and Armin Müller-Stahl as the leading part offers an interesting point of view about the differences between locals and immigrants that is illustrated in a humorous and ironic way.
This is a really terrific film that takes place in five cabs in five cities: L.A., New York, Paris, Rome, and Helsinki.
Night on earth contains 5 stories which is happen the thing in a taxi but 5 different cities (L.A.,N.Y.,ROME,PARIS AND HELSINKI) at the same time which means you can enjoy 5 films just in one film.The story in N.Y.
Indie filmmaker guru Jim Jarmusch's gimmicky yet originally witty 24 hour look at one international theme: taxi drivers and their fares in Los Angeles, New York City, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.
This is not one of Jim Jarmusch's best movies and this is just like Coffee and Cigaretts in which some of the short stories are good and others are not.
The genius of Jarmusch strkes again,but for all five segments just two worthwhile at all,the first one in LA Winona and Rowland is a peace of crap,the second one in New York lifted the degree but still low standard for a Jarmusch's level,in Paris is great really,all french people on bad temper as always and forever,the night in Rome is the best one,Benigni and the priest in some kind of christian confession is outrageous funny,dirty sins are too much for the religious man who had a heart attack,the last one is enough funny only!!!Resume:First watch: 1999 / How many: 2 / Source: Cable-TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5.
The other story that i loved is the one that takes place in New York with "Helmut" is very funny and i think that Jarmusch want that: funny and great stories with a message like the message in the one that takes place in Paris, whit the blind girl and the taxi driver.
Playing on a theme similar to the one in director Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train", "Night on Earth" portrays the relationships between cabbies and their fares in five different cities all at the same time.
They take place in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.The way the movie is filmed is unambitious, the camera is placed in the taxi, the driver in the front seat (to the right of the screen), the passenger in the back seat (to the left of the screen).
The movie shows five different taxi cab drivers in one night all over the world: Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki.LOS ANGELES: Maybe my least favorite but Winona Ryder is fantastic and very cute in this clip.
Interesting and different film about five separate taxi rides in five major cities around the world on the same night.
The film is a successful look not only at the heart of the cities themselves, it is a study of characters and of short term relationships.Shot in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki, each segment is about twenty-five minutes long and features a different theme each time. |
tt0479884 | Crank | The plot revolves around Carlito (Carlos Sanz), who leads a wealthy and influential Mexican-American crime syndicate in Los Angeles. Worried about the encroachment of a group of heavily-armed members of the Chinese mafia, Carlito orders the contract killing of their leader, Don Kim (Keone Young). Carlito's best hitman, a British man called Chev Chelios (Jason Statham), is ordered to do the job. However Carlito underestimated the Chinese and after the hit, the anger of the Chinese is much greater than Carlito expected. Carlito regrets the hit, deeming it "ill-advised", and to ease the pressure Carlito offers the Chinese an explanation and a solution: the hit was nothing to do with him, and Carlito will remove certain elements within his own organization who were responsible and operating on their own.Ricky Verona (Jose Pablo Cantillo), a small time criminal and long-time rival of Chelios, uses the opportunity to conspire with Carlito against Chelios, unknown to Chelios who believes Carlito is still loyal to him. While Chelios sleeps in his apartment one night, Verona breaks in and injects Chelios with the "Beijing Cocktail". This is a synthetic drug which inhibits the flow of adrenaline from the adrenal glands, slowing the heart, and eventually killing the victim. Chelios wakes to find a recorded video explaining that Chelios should only have about an hour left before the poison stops his heart.Chelios phones Doc Miles (Dwight Yoakam) who often works as a personal physician to the Mafia, who informs Chelios that in order to survive and keep his heart beating he must keep his adrenaline pumping through constant excitement and danger, or get some artificial adrenaline, epinephrine. With his own adrenaline keeping the poison at bay at first, Chelios breaks into a hospital and steals numerous drugs, much more than Doc Miles advises him to take and also being "juiced" by hits from a defibrilator. He must keep his adrenaline up through reckless and dangerous acts such as picking fights with other gangsters, stealing things, committing robberies, fighting with police and driving cars through shopping malls.The entire film takes place in a single day. Over the course of the day Chelios sets out to get his revenge on Verona, knowing that he probably will not make it to the end of the day, and attempting to find Verona and his street gang through Chelios' street contact Kaylo (Efren Ramirez), a flamboyant homosexual. Chelios also goes to pick up his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart) before Verona's thugs get to her. Chelios has sex with Eve in the middle of a busy street in Chinatown while hundreds of people look on, in order to keep his adrenaline up.In the end it is revealed that Chelios spared Don Kim's life and told him to leave LA. Towards the end of the film, Chelios arranges a rooftop meeting with Carlito, Verona and their henchmen, who promise him a fake antidote. Don Kim arrives along with his Triads to assist Chelios, and in a shootout many of Carlito's men are killed. Carlito is killed by an ambitious and treacherous Verona, who then attempts to leave in Carlito's helicopter. The film concludes with Chelios confronting Verona in the helicopter and as they fight the pair fall from the chopper thousands of feet above LA, and mid-flight Chelios breaks Verona's neck. He then calls Eve on his cell phone, apologizing that he will not be coming back to her. Chelios hits a car, bounces off it and lands right in front of the camera. In the last shot it is implied that his adrenaline is indeed still flowing fast; his nostrils flare, he blinks, and two heartbeats are heard. | comedy, stupid, cult, violence, absurd, action, revenge | train | imdb | The previews made it look like it had a clever story, but I was worried that with Jason Statham playing lead, I might just get a re-hash of his "Transporter" films.I got a pleasant surprise.
In the first minutes of the film we are set up with a possible story of corruption between hit men, a botched job, and the set-up for the whole movie-- Statham's Chev Chelios being fatally poisoned with a Chinese-made serum that slows his heart rate, and will eventually literally make his heart stop, killing him.
We get cutting when necessary and when not necessary, to further illustrate the needs of the main character.Overall, I would say "Crank" was the coolest movie I've seen in the last several years, leaps and bounds beyond the standard Hollywood action flick.
accidytrip-o-vision.Other movies with accidytrip-o-vision: Easy Rider and A Scanner Darkly.In conclusion, Crank is an action-filled, blood encrusted, comedy haywire, accidytrip-o-vision, adrenaline-pumping achievement.Kudos to Statham and the rest of the team for the new bible of popcorn flicks..
Despite the fast pace, there is actually real chemistry with her as the love interest.Every action movie lover should go out and see this film immediately.
It is everything that Snakes on a Plane, which is cheesy and bad, and I don't mean good-bad, is not.Who should see this movie:-- Action movie fans, you might not want to bring your SO, it's pretty hardcore with the gore and violence-- Enraged assassins with 2 hours to live I'll give "Crank" a 9 out of 10, the only missing point being that there's no real depth to the drama, it's strictly "just for the action"..
I think that is a fair review, this movie is good and avoid many of the common places in action movies and in many cases go against it .Some of the dialog you hear here you've never heard it in another movie , cause the situations are so unique .Jason Stantham is amazing in the lead character , even giving some comedy moments .This movie don't deserve a direct to video release , but even if in some countries are released direct to video , go and watch it..
Instead of a James Bond or a John McLane, CRANK has Chev Chelios, played by Jason Statham (THE TRANSPORTER), who is not even close to one of the more likable action heroes.
But for the most part, Crank is a hard boiled action movie that is specifically designed to give directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor free reign to bombard your senses with every little trick they can imagine, which includes split screens, animated views of the pounding hearts of humans and pigeons alike, car chases, gun fights, dazed point of view shots, subtitles viewed from both sides, and even a couple of shots where people that Chelios is speaking to on the phone appear on screen once projected onto a nearby wall and once, briefly, in a side-view mirror as Chelios speeds down the street.Crank was made with a very specific audience in mind, and for what that audience wants to see, the movie definitely delivers.
But there's absolutely nothing funny -- and much that is actually quite disturbing -- about many of the scenes that are played for laughs, like an inexplicable one where a bad guy is getting a blow job while feeding pieces of raw meat to angry dogs, or another where Jason Statham's character pretty much rapes his girlfriend in the middle of a busy market until she's so turned on that she joins in voluntarily.Garbage.Grade: F.
Honestly I like mildly entertaining action films but this doesn't deserve the IMDb rating at all.It is basically the same story as speed, but instead of preventing the bus slowing down to avert disaster, Jason Statham's character must prevent his heart from slowing down else he dies.
What a brutally awful way to waste 90 minutes of your life.The clowns that scripted and produced this garbage should be banned from Hollywood.The actors will surely be wishing this could be erased from their resumes.Vulgar language and sex that adds nothing to the movie, it's just mindlessly thrown in for titillation purposes.Sure, there's a place for it, but not when it's so blatantly forced as in this stupid movie.It's not clever, it's just increasingly offensive scenes linked together.And if stupid scenes aren't enough, they irritate the heck out of you with shaky camera movement.They probably think it adds to the aura of the movie, but why didn't they just invest a few bucks in a tripod.Don't even waste your time with this as a video rental.Easily one of the 10 worst pieces of trash ever filmed..
Watch it one more time and see if u don't agree that its the worst action movie ever made.Please for your own health.What was the point of him driving the bike standing on the seat, the point of the backwards subtitles(like hes reading it), the point of making a phone call while falling from the sky, and lastly what was the point of the rape scene in Chinatown.
Unless he keeps his adrenaline up, and being a super tough hit-man, he is not one to go out quietly nor get revenge on those that poisoned him.Jason Statham fits the role of the intense, crazy, ultra-cool, badass Chev Chelios so perfectly that it's just amazing.
When I saw this movie in the new releases at the local rental shop, I thought straight away with Jason Statham in the lead role it should be a good movie.Yes it has a lot of blood and guts etc but it's very similar to Transporter 2 in that it's been churned out for the sake of it.So far fetch it's not funny, so ridiculous that my wife went to sleep at the half way point.
I watched it to the end and it just got worse.I had expected it to be up there with Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Transporter or even Layer cake (different actor), which are three movies I would really rate, but sadly this is one I would steer my friends away from.Yes, it had a few funny moments but the story line is garbage, it reminds me of those old "B" grade movies from the 50's.I've read many a review on this site over the last several years and this is the first time a movie has made me make a comment.If you see this in the rental area along side say "The Departed" it's no contest The Departed is what good movies are about..
These men should not be allowed to as much as work in a cinema.And don't get me started on the scene where Statham almost rapes his girlfriend in front of a crowd of people, including children.Maybe it's because I've been watching so many Scorsese movies recently, but this one seemed more dire than even The Transporter.
Not caring about himself or those who have the misfortune of running into him Chev just makes a shambles of everything and everyone he comes in contact with in the film.The movie "Crank" even gets a bit, a big bit, pornographic as Chev, needing to keep his heart furiously pumping to stay alive, attacks and rapes his stunned girlfriend Eve, Amy Smart.
Okay, I admit that a premise as far-fetched as 'Crank' is not aiming to engage on any intelligent level, and I for one was interested in how it would be developed, but it is preposterous in its nature from its cheap thrills to endless violence.Jason Statham acts in 'Crank' like he does in all his other movies, a man with a passion for violence.
I'm not saying that movie needs to be intelligent or have a fantastic plot, but where movies like "Dude where's my car" and "Bringing Down the House" at least offer some pretty good laughs, this movie is just plan stupid and uncomfortable.Jason Statham is just the idiotic self as he's always been.
The ending was crap, too, and I am not sure whether the director wanted to make this film an all action movie, a romance, a drama, or a comedy.
There have been numerous parallels to video games (mainly the 'Grand Theft Auto' franchise) in as much as it's stupidly over-the-top, but knowingly so – so that's okay (in my book, anyway).Jason 'The Stath' Statham, plays a hit-man with a name that I can never remember how to spell and, one sunny morning in Los Angeles, he wakes up poisoned by a baddie and with less than an hour to live (but, it's also worth noting that the film's runtime is over an hour and a half, so we know that the Stath is going to last a little longer than his foe intended).
However, luckily for our cockney hero (yes, he's not bothering with his faux U.S. accent) he soon figures out that if he keeps his adrenaline suitably raised then he'll be okay (well, not okay, but won't die instantly).So, that's basically the film – Jason Statham runs (literally!) from scene to scene, finding one weird and wonderful way of keeping his heart rate up while trying to track down and kill the person who did this to him (and, if there's a genuine antidote out there, he'll have that, too).
;o) What I really like, is that the movie sets a tone and keeps it till the end.Jason Statham was an action star before Crank, but now everyone will notice him.
Definitely not a film for the squeamish or the easily offended by potty mouth dialog, CRANK delivers its own brand of breakneck action and very funny comedic outtakes into a platform for the likes of Jason Statham, so well remembered for his role in Transporter/s, and a cast that gives him fine support.Chev Chelios (Statham, in fine fettle but oddly keeping his shirt on to for once cover his physique...) is a contract killer who has just snuffed a man the local drug dealers in LA are not happy about: relationships between LA and Hong Kong have been strained.
The story is a bit shallow but that really doesn't get in the way when the purpose of the movie is to see just how violent and how many kills and disasters can be created before the final bizarre ending.Statham and Smart make a great team, giving some of the best humor imaginable in a story that is basically humorless.
The movie concept for this film sounds good on paper, man kills for a living as a hit-man, boss gets frustrated with him for being out of control, get the cartels to inject him with a deadly virus and must keep up his heart rate to stay alive and thus looks for revenge, its probably why Jason Statham signed on to do this film.
Anyway Jason Statham is a good action star if directed properly obviously we all saw how good he was in Transporter 1 and 2, this wasn't the case, yes crank did have some humor in the mix, when both Jason character (Chev) and Amy smart (eve) were in town square china town and the only way he could keep the adrenaline going was having sex with his girlfriend and the part were he was distracting his girlfriend (eve) by knocking over her purse to fight the "bad-guys" and breaking their necks in the process.
Do yourself a favor go see "little miss sunshine" there's a movie that will make you think and won't leave you felling dumbfounded.If this was a parody of other action flicks I probably would of gave it a 8 out of 10 but it looked like the directors wanted the audience to take it seriously so it gets a 1 out of 10..
Compared to many other action movies this one really stick out from the rest.And Jason Statham did a fantastic role in Crank.
"My Name is Chev Chelios and today's the day I went to see Crank and it was amazing".I managed to see a preview of this film and it was fantastic.Jason Statham is absolutely brilliant as Chev 'the man' Chelios, the action is superb and the direction is stunning.It really shows that the directors worked in stunts beforehand, as they know how to make a stunning looking film with effects galore.
Hit-man Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) is having a crap day; he's been injected with synthetic poison which will kill him if his heart rate drops.
Jason Statham may be one of the best action stars to have emerged in recent years, but even he cannot save this turgid mess from being the total wreck that it is.On second thoughts, maybe this film is SO dumb and SO over-the-top that it's actually pure geniusthe ultimate violent popcorn thrill ride.No, I was right the first timeit's absolute toss!
Crank is a solid action thrill ride that was better than expected powered by a fantastic performance by Jason Statham whose other film credits include Snatch, The Transporter, and Death Race.
While the first time writers/directors of Crank said they (very luckily) didn't have to pitch the script, it would have been one of those classic moments seeing that pitch happen: "Ok, so, it's like Speed, you remember Speed with Keanu Reeves, and he had make sure the bus didn't go below 50 or else it would blow up - here, think of that, only instead of a bus it's an ass-kicking British guy, maybe Jason Statham from Transporter." It got money thrown at it right away, and Statham had to be actually convinced in reality to take on the part, but it was such a spot-on decision since he is, pleasantly and surprisingly, fit like an oil-slicked glove into the part of Chev Chelios.
There's nothing that Statham- who may arguably be even MORE of a bad-ass here than ever before (which may or may not be saying a lot considering his 10 year career so far)- won't do for the film, and it works so well because of him and the verve of the film-making.Crank isn't exactly a very "good" movie, almost never will you see it on anyone's "best-of" list.
If you like brainless action flicks with insane set-pieces, great one-liners and zero character development so you don't give a rat's-ass about them, then Crank is probably the film for you.
CRANK has it all, indeed...belligerence, profanity, crude sex in a crowded public place, male anatomy jokes, dismemberment and numerous other examples of calculatedly gratuitous violence, needles, disgusting x-ray images of pumping hearts, prostitutes inside glass bubbles, cutesy text graphics and subtitles, an obnoxious thrash metal soundtrack...like I said, CRANK has it all...if you're a 13-17 year-old male.If you are anything other than a 13-17 year-old male, please avoid this pointless, soulless garbage.CRANK rips off every modern action-genre gimmick and shamelessly employs every cliché imaginable: shallow racial stereotypes, protracted car chases, pseudo-dream sequences, shoot-outs on the roofs of buildings that are so absurd and over-the-top that you find yourself laughing, not because it's funny, but because you can't believe someone actually scripted such scenes and went to the trouble of shooting them.Even the whole idea of the main character being fatally poisoned, and having but one measly afternoon to exact his revenge, is a tired, shopworn plot template.And the most glaring, trite device of all: using jerky, helter-skelter, hand-held camera footage, a la DOMINO...another extremely lame film...to create an atmosphere of kitschy, chaotic fun and madness.
Some scenes meant to be funny, were instead laughable that they were even meant to be funny (if that makes any sense).Chev Chelios (Jason Statham) is an assassin getting ready to slow down and quit the business to spend more time with his girlfriend Eve (Amy Smart).
The action scenes are about the only good part of the movie, because they are pretty intense and fun to watch, but they too are amazingly stupid.
I was so excited to have the opportunity to see Crank, I have heard nothing but great things about this movie all year, so when some friends and I watched it last night we were a bit confused by all the awesome ratings and reviews this film had.
Chev also needs to get to his stoner girlfriend, Eve, before she gets killed; but time is running out as he tries to keep his blood running and his adrenaline going.Like I said, this was an alright action film, I think it was just a little bit too much for me.
British actor Jason Statham is best known for his roles in both Transporter films, The Italian Job, and of course Guy Ritchie's Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.In Crank, he's raised his status as an action star big time!
The premise of the film is Chev Chelios (Jason) is a hit man/mobster; after messing with the wrong group, they drug him and inject a poisonous substance where he only has a few hours to live.In order to prolong his imminent death, he must keep his heart rate up, and adrenaline pumping.
It's the first time I've ever seen the use of that sort of thing actual locations were used and shown in a movie.Along his chase, and running out of adrenaline, Eve (Smart) joins back up with Chev; she gives him enough energy to make it just a few more hours the only way she knows how.I'm always incredibly impressed with the amount of stunts Jason does, and at his ability to pull them off.
I am really disappointed because I really like Jason Statham and think he could be a really big action star.
This movie is big on action,, and sex scenes also.Jason STatham does NOT disappoint.
A feature film that puts Jason Statham in the front is more or less destined to be action-packed from the beginning to the end and Crank is not an exception.
Jason Statham finally stars in an action movie that's obviously ironic, not like the rather embarrassing "Transporter" flicks.
I like Jason Statham and really enjoyed him in the Transporter films. |
tt0097004 | Caged Fury | Kat Collins, grown restless with life in rural Utah, decides to 'take her shot' in Hollywood. Along the way she picks up Rhonda Wallace, who just baled out of a would-be-rapist's pickup truck. Together, they head to LA and meet up with Rhonda's sleazy photograph pal, Buck Lewis, who takes the girls out on the town - meaning Mr. G's biker bar, where Kat is nearly raped.
As promised, Buck gets Kat and Rhonda a screen test at Mr. G's casting agency the next day. When the girls tumble to the fact that they're being auditioned for a role in a porno film they try to leave, which leads to an altercation and a trip in a squad car. Then it's a swing through the local kangaroo court, and the girls find themselves in the Honeywell State Prison for Women in no time flat!
Kat is ordered to tell her family she's out of the country on an acting job, and can't be reached - but sister Tracy is already in LA, tracking her down. She learns that Kat was taken away by the police, but is told at the station that there's no record of an arrest. Undaunted, Tracy's plan is to follow Kat's movements, which should lead her to her sister. And it does!
Now Kat, Tracy and Rhonda are together in a place where a two month sentence may in fact be a death sentence. Honeywell may be a prison, but not one sanctioned by the State of California. The pipeline from Buck's studio to Mr. G's casting couch to kangaroo court to Honeywell Prison is all part of a human trafficking organization that captures, subdues and sells young women into slavery.
Fortunately for the girls, martial arts maven Dirk Ramsey is hot on their trail - but will he get to them in time? | violence, cult, sadist | train | imdb | There are some films in this world that are just so bad that they're hilarious, and Caged Fury is one of these.
The hero of the story is Dirk Ramsey, a be-mulleted kung-fu superman who attempts to rescue the inmates of a women's prison.
Most of the actresses in the film are porn stars, and spend the movie swoonig over Dirk and his burly chum Victor.
I thoroughly recommend this film for anyone who enjoys a good laugh.
...if you went into this, expecting a MOVIE!Let's just say as a movie, "Caged Fury" makes a great peep show!Same old song: innocent farm girl goes to big city (LA, if I recall) looking for stardom, ends up in the kind of prison that is an actual front for a white slavery ring; her sister goes looking for her, ends up in the same prison.NOW, here is where things get kind of confusing.
You see, this movie doesn't know whether or not it wants to be a sleazy women's prison movie, a porn flick, a cop movie or a kung-fu flick!I mentioned porn flick because this one has a big number of porn stars here, many under assumed names.
If you're a fan, you'll recognize Kashcha, Ron Jeremy, Tyffany Million, Janine Lindemuller and Julia Parton.It also has Erik Estrada (!!!) as a cop/detective looking for the girls and the huge, bulky Richard Barathy as his partner, who happens to know some beefy kung-fu moves that put all the baddies in their place.
And not only are these two here, but there are also appearances by Michael Parks, Jack Carter, Paul Smith (yes, Beast Rabban from the 1984 "Dune" movie) and James Hong.Anyway, there's loads of female nudity (it IS a women's prison flick, after all), kung-fu fighting, simulated sex, plenty of stupidity, truck-loads of prison stereotypes, entire continents of beautiful chicks and an ending where everything turns out okay.
Oh, and did I mention Erik Estrada?You can't expect much from movies like this, but at least "Caged Fury" throws in a lot more than other films do.
Name another women's prison flick with Erik Estrada...
that's what I thought.Two stars for "Caged Fury", plus one more for Erik Estrada - he needs more work like this..
For women's prison movie fans only.
Not a good film, objectively, but a sort of archetype of the women's prison movie genre.
If you are someone who likes women's prison movies, (and you know who you are) you CANNOT miss this one.
When I popped "Caged Fury" into my VCR, I had no idea what to expect because I didn't have the VHS sleeve, so I thought I might be in for a kind of kick boxing movie...
The film revolves around two sisters who get sent to this women's prison unjustifiably.
A women-in-prison-in-Hollywood movie..
Trashy late-'80s/early-'90s American women-in-prison flick Caged Fury stars Roxanna Michaels as naive wannabe actress Kathie Collins, who travels from Utah to Los Angeles looking for fame and fortune, but who only finds misery and suffering after falling for a scam that sees her sent to a women's prison where the inmates are sold as sex slaves.
When Kathie fails to call home after a few days, her big sister Tracy (Elena Sahagun) decides to try and find the missing girl, putting her own life in jeopardy in the process.Unlike the majority of women-in-prison movies, which are usually keen to get to the sleazy prison action as quickly as possible, Caged Fury spends a good third of its running time following Kathie as she falls in with drifter Rhonda (April Dawn Dollarhide), meets slimy Hollywood photographer Buck (Blake Bahner), goes sightseeing in downtown L.A., visits a scuzzy rock bar, almost gets raped by a gang of bikers, is rescued by friendly mercenaries Victor (C.H.I.P.s star Erik Estrada) and Dirk Ramsey (mulletted martial artist Richard Barathy), and auditions for a movie that turns out to be a porno (which forms part of the scam that results in her and Rhonda getting banged up).
All of this is mildly entertaining, particularly with all the ghastly 90s fashion and music on display, but nowhere near as much fun as the action that takes place after the poor girl is thrown behind bars
Ruled by lesbian dominatrix Warden Sybil Thorn (Ty Randolph), Honeywell State Prison is home to numerous unfortunates who are forced to saunter around in sexy lingerie, take regular communal showers, and satisfy the wicked guards' needs, meaning that the film is loaded with nudity from desperate aspiring starlets and a handful of porn-stars masquerading as actresses (including Kascha, Tyffany Million, and Janine Lindemulder).
Some of these women are complete bitches and cause trouble for Kathie, but this is swiftly dealt with by mean guard Spyder (Gregory Scott Cummins), who delights in punishing the inmates.
Already stunned by her terrible predicament, Kathie is even more shocked when Tracey also gets herself thrown into jail as part of her ill-considered rescue plan.Things look up for the girls when Dirk, a veritable one-man killing machine, storms the prison (which turns out to be directly opposite Mann's Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard!); he karate chops and kicks his way through numerous guards (including porn legend Ron Jeremy), is overpowered and locked up, kicks his way through a solid brick wall, and squares off against the prison's massive head guard (played by Paul L.
Meanwhile, the sisters manage to escape and free many of the other inmates; with chaos all around, Warden Thorn orders her men to kill all of the prisoners.
While they're busy blasting unarmed women in their cells, Spyder pursues Kathie, gets a fork jammed in his eye for his trouble, and is ultimately impaled on a crowbar by Rhonda.While not quite as mean-spirited or as sexually graphic as some women-in-prison movies (especially those from Europe and South America), this cheesy, nudity-filled, karate choppin' dollop of low-budget silliness still offers enough random sleaze and violence to make it a good time for B-movie fans and women-in-prison aficionados.6.5 out 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb..
A WIP Flick featuring Erik Estrada and Ron Jeremy?
Innocent women wrongly convicted when they put too much trust into the wrong man are thrown into a hellish prison, where the only break they get from the sadistic lesbians gleefully conducting cavity searches and psychotic male guards smacking them around is when they're allowed to take a long, steamy showers.
Been there, done that, only "Caged Fury" has a twist, one that you'll decipher quickly enough on your own, and spend the rest of the movie wondering why the "prisoners" never catch on (the movie's explanation: women are stupid).
Also, it stars Erik Estrada.Our heroines are a pair of Utah farm girls, Cat (Roxanna Micheals) and Tracy (Elena Sahagan).
Tracy is the wild sister, the one who ran off to New York and came back looking like a mad scientist's experiment to transform LaToya Jackson into Pia Zadora, but retaining a country gal's love of baseball caps and acid-wash denim.
Despite their father's (Michael Parks) misgivings, Cat wants to follow in her big sister's footsteps, only she wants to go to L.A. instead of New York because she's independent that way.
Girls may go for Buck's studly good looks, but they stay for his charming style, such as when he asks his guest from Utah: "Cat, as in p—sy?" The movie's other conceit: the men of Los Angeles are sleazy pigs — except Erik Estrada and Richard Barathy, who rescue Cat from a biker gang rape at the ersatz metal club Buck takes the girls to (Buck would've saved her, but he was busy sexing up Rhonda in a realistically grimy/unrealistically roomy restroom).After Cat thanks Estrada for his chivalry with her body (hey, she pretty much HAS to), Buck takes the girls to an audition that's so intentionally cheesy the actors get eyestrain winking at the camera.
But just when Cat's about to catch on that she's auditioning for—gasp!—a porn video, she and Rhonda are booked on solicitation charges and sent to prison.
Lucky for Cat, her big sister Tracy's got her back.
Unfortunately, Tracy's not any smarter than she is, since Tracy's plan entails getting sent to the same prison and, well, she hasn't quite worked out all the details.
Guess it's up to Estrada and Barathy, the only decent men in all of L.A., to save them.
Uh-oh, Estrada gets shot and spends the last act in an ambulance being tended to by a sexy nurse.
So it's Barathy, with his lethal kick-boxing skills and luxurious mullet, who finally takes down the bad guys.
There is evidence it's trying to be a parody in the vein of "Reform School Girls," but its humor makes the women, not the genre, the butt of the joke.
Ty Randolph, as the dominatrix-outfitted warden, does what she can but she's no Pat Ast or Sybil Danning; and Ron Jeremy and Erik Estrada, who have lent camp cache to other direct-to-video projects, are given little to do here.
"Caged Fury" also doesn't cut it as exploitation.
Director Bill Milling has several adult video credits ("A Scent of Heather," "Blonde Goddess"), but with "Caged Fury" he stays safely inside the confines of an R-rating, not even daring to push into "hard-R" territory.
A guy who directed hardcore porn skimps on the sex scenes?
Guess Milling wanted people to see him as something other than a porn director, but sometimes it's best to stick with what you know..
This has got to be one of the funniest films of all time; featuring the most underrated action hero ever to grace the silver screen.
For those of you who have yet to watch this masterpiece, Dirk Ramsey is the MAN!
He is far superior to Spiderman; his intellect makes Batman look like a dunce, while his strength, even Superman would struggle against the might that is Ramsey.
Throw in sleazy Eric Estrada as his side-kick Victor, and you have all the ingredients for one hell of a viewing.
Also, all the 'ladies' on offer apart from Cat and Tracey Collins, are porn stars in real life, you've gotta love this film..
Prison porn.
Pure 80s cheese for fans of women's prison flicks.Kat (Roxanna Michaels), fresh off the farm, goes to L.A. to make it as an actress and gets thrown in a fake prison where the inmates are sold as sex slaves.
Her sister Tracy (Elena Sahagun) comes to her rescue, along with Erik Estrada and Richard Barathy as a mullet-ed beefcake that karate chops his way though everyone.
Of course, the two guys ride off into the sunset on their Harleys with the two women behind.Typical lesbian, leather-clad warden (Mindi Miller), huge sadistic matrons, shower scenes, simulated sexual scenes, and lots of fighting.
Lots of recognizable porn stars for the fans.For serious fans of this genre only..
Sweet innocent Kathie Collins (foxy Roxanna Michaels) and her rowdy gal pal Rhonda Wallace (a delightfully raucous April Dawn Dollarhide) are wrongfully incarcerated in a brutal women's penitentiary where the vicious staff led by sadistic lesbian Warden Sybil Thorn (essayed with lip-smacking wicked aplomb by Mindi Miller) grossly mistreat the fetching female inmates.
It's up to rough'n'tumble nonstop one man a**kicking martial arts machine Dick Ramsey (beefy wonder Richard Barathy, who sports a truly hideous mullet) to rescue the lovely ladies.
Wiatrak, a constant snappy pace, a wailin' 80's head-banging rock soundtrack, a pleasingly leering protracted shower scene, vigorously hammy overacting from a game cast, one doozy of a surprise plot twist (the prison is actually a front for a nefarious white slavery ring!), a funky, pumping score by Joe Delia, an exciting last reel jailbreak sequence, and a handy helping of tasty distaff gratuitous nudity (the gorgeous Elena Sahagun in particular looks positively delectable in her birthday suit).
Popping up in nifty supporting roles are Erik Estrada as Ramsey's rugged buddy Victor, Michael Parks as Kathie's overbearing dad Mr. Collins, Greg Cummins as slimy guard Spyder, Paul L.
Smith as the hulking brute head guard, Jack Carter as smarmy modeling agency big shot Mr. Castaglia, and James Hong as weary Detective Randall Stoner.
At least writer / director Bill Milling did his part in keeping the Women-In-Prison genre alive with his cheesy effort here.
Sweet and sexy Roxanna Michaels plays Kat Collins, a gal who moves to L.A. in the hopes of being an acting star, and manages to get herself "arrested" and sent to a prison where she and various other very attractive ladies are treated as sex slaves and even auctioned off to interested parties.
Her concerned older sister Tracy (Elena Sahagun) follows her trail determined to find out what happened.
Meanwhile, two detectives, played by Erik "Ponch" Estrada and hulking Richard Barathy, are on the case.
Whether he's kicking his way through a wall or confronting the massive head guard (Paul L.
Smith, 12 years after playing a not dissimilar role in "Midnight Express") or just "acting", the guy is full of entertainment value.
But there are enough other familiar faces on hand to help make this thing palatable: James Hong as a detective, Michael Parks as the father of the two girls, Jack Carter as a lecherous sleaze ball, Gregory Scott Cummins as ultra creepy guard Spyder, and even Ron Jeremy as one of the guards.
Jeremy isn't the only porn star to be seen, though, as there are others here acting under pseudonyms.
The soundtrack, featuring some rocking tunes by a group named Poison Dollys, is enjoyable, and as befitting any movie of this type, we do get an eyeful of our hottie inmates, striking sexy poses and dressed provocatively - when they are dressed; there's enough nudity to keep people happy.
The bottom line, though, is that this is all just depraved enough - and silly enough - to make for a good time for interested B movie aficionados.
A noticeable absence of any slickness (the movie does look pretty rough, overall) helps to accent the effective grindhouse appeal.
Note: Estrada, Smith, Hong, and Parks also all take an associate producer credit.
Charles Bronson looking dude becomes rambo in a women in prison film..
A very tame "women in prison film", there is a bit of nudity which let's face it, that's what you really watch these movies for.Believe or not the main lead girl actually shows her breasts!
The main kick of the film is Dirk Ramsey for sure, played by a famous martial artist.
Bad movie..
Meanwhile, the guard watches another prisoner and cuts a guy with a razor, the runner is trapped and brought back.
Kate Collins of Utah is not quite happy at home.
And so one day, despite the disapproval of his father and a little Sister Tracy, used in a car and leaving for a better future.
The next day, Kate and Rhonda are casting.
When Kate plays an erotic scene, and refuses to continue, after which she is attacked by the director with Rhona.
A court is taking place and the two girls end up in the village.
He's already in Tracy and looking for his sister.
Then Kate goes through the first "interrogation" in the prison.
Kate and Tracy will meet in the crime scene.
The Rhonin criminal will attack the warden and Kate on the guard .
But that's coming near here, Dick, who's getting rid of the guards.
If you are looking for cruelty and nudity, definitely choose another movie and that is it.
I actually never heard about Bill Milling before, but solely based on this movie he is already a true cult/exploitation hero in my book!
Because if you single-handedly realize the production of a film like "Caged Fury", which is basically a montage of severely perverted masculine fantasies, and then still manage to cast a handful of respectable actors (like Michael Parks, Paul Smith, James Hong and Erik Estrada), well then you are one cool bastard; and that's a fact!
Milling had been making adult-entertainment movies since the mid-70s already, but ended his career in the late 80s and early 90s with a couple of cheap and sleazy exploitation movies.
"Caged Fury" is clearly inspired by the successful trend of so- called "Women in Prison" movies, even though the heyday of that particular cult sub-genre was already long over by then, and that basically means that the plot and logic are subordinate to showing naked flesh and gratuitous violence!
The artistic high points in the film thus exist of scantily clad blond babes worming themselves through narrow ventilation shafts and images of the lesbian head- warden parading around in kinky S&M outfits.
And yet, somehow I'm deeply persuaded that "Caged Fury" could have been a much better film and even a sleeper hit if only Milling & Co tried a bit harder.
The cute and innocent Kathie Collins leaves her countryside home and overbearing father to make it as an actress in Hollywood!
She naturally meets up with the wrong people, wrongfully gets accused of prostitution and ends up for 3-6 months in a secluded woman's prison.
Their fate lies in the hands of Kung-Fu macho duo Victor (Ponch from "CHiPs") and Dirk Ramsey (a weirdo with an impressive mullet and mustache), as they slowly discover that the prison is merely just a cover-up for a girl-slaves trading organization.
Apart from the couple of impressive aforementioned names, the cast mainly just exists of adult film stars, like the inevitable Ron Jeremy or the luscious Janine Lindemulder.
Cummins and Paul Smith as misogynist prison guards, but the real hero obviously remains Dirk "Mullet" Ramsey.
He's a late 80s action symbol who kicks in cement walls with his bare feet and seduces all the pretty women even though he's one of the ugliest people in the world.
Best part of the film is unquestionably the ending, when it suddenly gets revealed that this so-called prison institution is located right in the center of Hollywood Boulevard! |
tt0057611 | Tystnaden | When Bergman started shooting "The Silence," he explained that it was the final installment of his film trilogy, which started with "Through Glass Darkly," followed by "Winter Light." This trilogy corresponds to the start in a new direction taken by Ingmar Bergman: "chamber films," so named for their analogy to chamber music. In "The Silence," God has totally disappeared from the world. We are now faced with an absolute silence, resulting from a complete breakdown of communication between human beings.First Movement. After vacationing abroad, young Johan (Jorgen Lindstrom), his mother, Anna (Gunnel Lindblom), and his aunt Ester (Ingrid Thulin), are aboard a train, returning to their home in Sweden -- but we won't know these characters' names until about the middle of the film. The train whistle has just awakened Johan, who walks to the train compartment window. The atmosphere in the compartment is stiflingly hot. Anna, leaning against the back of the seat, perspiring and obviously uncomfortable, is fanning herself with a book. Ester, by contrast, is sitting upright, apparently unaffected by the heat. They are arriving in Timoka, a town in a country with a totally incomprehensible language. Johan asks Ester what a small sign on the window means, but even though she is an interpreter, she does not know the language. As she answers Johan, she has a paroxysm of coughing which stains her handkerchief with blood. Anna tries to help her, but Ester pushes her away and rushes from the compartment. A while later, Ester is back in her seat and condescends to accept Anna's help. Anna closes the door of the compartment, leaving Johan outside. Left to himself, Johan walks down the corridor, peeking into other compartments, and looking out through the windows. On a parallel track, a train of flatbed wagons passes, carrying tanks: obviously, there is a war or a revolution underway, or about to start.The train enters the station, brakes squealing and grinding. The next scene shows our three characters in a hotel room. Because of Ester's sickness, Anna and Ester have decided to stop for a time in Timoka, until Ester is better able to travel. The three take over two large rooms which communicate through a large doorway. Johan goes to the window to look at the street below, where feverish activities point toward a possibly imminent disaster. Anna decides to take a bath and asks Johan to come and scrub her back. Johan's obvious delight at being close to his mother is brief, as Anna cuts short this intimate moment and sends him back to the room to take a nap.Meanwhile, in the other room Ester is in bed, chain-smoking, drinking, and reading a book. As she has emptied her bottle, she rings the hotel floor porter (Hakan Jahnberd). The old man comes in, and Ester, not being able to communicate with him through the different languages she knows, manages through gestures to express her need for more alcohol. The porter returns with a bottle and leaves the room. Ester goes in her sister's room and contemplates Anna and Johan as they sleep. She returns to her own bed, unbuttons her pajamas and proceeds to masturbate. Suddenly, the deafening roar of airplanes fills the room, jolting Johan awake once more. He dresses, puts his cap-pistol in his belt and leaves the room, embarking on a lengthy exploration of the cheerless hotel's hallways. Johan first encounters a workman sitting on the top of a ladder, and shoots at him with the cap-pistol. Next, he hides behind an armchair and shoots at the old porter, who sits in his cubicle. When the old man makes a friendly gesture toward Johan, Johan runs away. Further down the hallway, he meets a dwarf whom he salutes. Coming into a turn of the hallway, Johan finds himself face to face with a reproduction of Ruben's Dejanira Abducted by Nessus. Meanwhile, Ester is in her bedroom on her hands and knees, spying through the doorway on her naked sister as Anna cools herself off with water from the sink.It should be noted that many of these scenes are in fact happening simultaneously, for example, the scenes of Johan studying the painting and Ester spying on her sister, indicating a parallelism in subject matter .Johan comes upon the open door of a room occupied by a group of dwarfs, part of a traveling Spanish troop. He goes in, but not before having "shot" three of them. They dress him up with a girl's dress, all the while speaking in Spanish, which although a more accessible language, is still foreign to Johan. The dwarf he had previously encountered in the hallway comes in and scolds his fellow dwarfs, and after taking the girl's dress off Johan, escorts him out. Johan manifests his frustration at being once more excluded by urinating in the hallway.In parallel with the previous scene, the meaning of Anna's lipstick, in a close-up shot, readying herself to go out, and its implication regarding Anna's state of mind cannot be missed. As she leaves, we see Ester's fury at having once more lost control over her sister. Anna wanders in a street crowded only with men. She enters a café and meets a young waiter (Birger Malmsten). She then goes to a variety theater where the group of dwarfs is performing. She sits in a loge where, next to her, a couple is having sex. She watches for a while, fascinated and at the same time, somewhat repulsed. She leaves the theater and returns to the café, where she communicates through a glance her immediate need to the young waiter.Johan is still walking the hotel halls. He sees the old porter having lunch in his cubicle. The porter persuades Johan to come and sit on his lap to look at old photographs. One photograph shows a family group with a young boy, probably the porter, standing around a coffin that contains a woman, who may be the porter's mother. At that moment, Anna walks down the hallway, and Johan runs to her and hugs her. Anna goes to her room but, anticipating a quarrel with her sister, stops Johan from following her. Johan, angered at being again rejected, resumes his walk along the hotel corridors. He slips the old man's photograph under a rug in a sign of protest over his latest dismissal.Anna is followed into her room by Ester who notices Anna's soiled dress, and understands what has happened during Anna's visit to the outside world. At this point, Anna demands that her sister stop her spying, and insists that she leave her alone.Second Movement. Later in the evening, Ester is in at the window in her own room, watching the strange evening activities below. She is listening to the radio, which is broadcasting one of Bach's Goldberg Variations. The porter, bringing in tea, recognizes the "mooseek," and names the composer, "Johan Sebastian Bach.". During this peaceful moment of understanding, Ester tells Anna that she and Johan should leave this same evening, and she will follow them at a later time, when she feels better. Anna refuses, not out of compassion for Ester, but probably because she has another rendezvous later that evening with the young waiter. Anna is about to leave the room when Ester turns off the uniting music and verbally attacks her. Once more, Anna sends Johan out of the room. Spitefully, Anna recounts her afternoon encounter with the young waiter in great detail to her sister. Ester is at once upset by these revelations, but also seems to enjoy them. Ester tries to dissuade Anna from going to meet her lover again, but to no avail.Anna meets the young waiter in the hotel hallway and they both enter an adjacent room. Johan listens for a while, his ear pressed against the door, and then wanders off down the corridors, lonely and disoriented. He returns to his room, goes to bed, and reads a little. Then, just as he enters his aunt's room, a prolonged rumbling brings him to the window, where he sees a tank parked in front of the hotel. Ester wakes and asks him to read something to her. Johan instead proposes to put on his Punch and Judy show. He proceeds with a violent puppet show, in which Punch beats Judy while speaking an incomprehensible tongue. Ester asks the meaning of this, and Johan replies that when Punch is afraid, he speaks this kind of funny language. Suddenly, Johan's pent-up emotions surface, and he rushes into his aunt's arms, sobbing. Outside the hotel, in a rumbling, the tank leaves the scene. Johan asks Ester to write few words of the strange local language she would have translated, which Ester promises to do.Meanwhile next door, after an amorous encounter, Anna and her boyfriend are "talking." That is, Anna is delivering a monologue of her inner thoughts, since they cannot otherwise verbally communicate. She hears Ester at the door sobbing, wanting to come in. Anna, still talking, opens the door and unloads all her repressed resentments on her sister. Ester leaves as the young waiter takes Anna once more.Third Movement. Some time later, in Ester's room, as Anna is leaving the room to go for breakfast with Johan, she tells her bed-ridden sister that she and Johan are leaving in the afternoon. An hour passes and Ester is lying in her bed. She is furious because Anna and Johan have not yet returned. She launches into an angry monologue that provokes a terrible spasm. The old porter does his best to help Ester in her distress. He realizes that she is dying, but he cannot communicate any words of comfort. The spasm subsides and Ester pulls a sheet over her face. She is lying under the sheets when Johan and Anna return. Johan is briefly afraid that Ester is dead, but she reassures him, and hands him the letter she wrote for him.In the next and final scene, Anna and Johan are together in a train compartment, on their way home to Sweden. Johan reads Ester's letter, titled "To Johan: Words in a Foreign Language." The film ends as it started, with an extreme close-up of Johan at the compartment window, muttering the few words written by his aunt. | bleak, haunting | train | imdb | null |
tt0092530 | Alien Predator | In 1973, the space satellite Skylab was launched into orbit. Experiments with a lethal alien microbe were performed by being tested on animals. In 1979, Skylab crash landed onto Earth, and a huge chunk of the satellite crashed outside a small village in Spain called Duarte. Now it is 1984. A cow has been exposed to the virus among the wrecked remains of Skylab and dies. Stray dogs are later seen eating the corpse of the cow and one of the dogs is swallowed whole by an organism within the cow's corpse. The virus then starts to spread. At the same time, three American teenagers, Michael, Damon and Samantha on a pre-college vacation are spending the summer in Europe traveling in a rented camper with a dune buggy in tow. Their camper breaks down and they are forced to go into the village and stay for the night at a nearby trailer park. The next morning, NASA scientist Dr. W. Tracer has flown in from the United States to meet with a colleague, Captain J.J. Wells to discuss the virus and the infection of the local lieutenant. Back at the trailer park, Michael, Damon and Samantha step out of their trailer for air and meet an Indian Family, the Bodhis, who happen to be camping right next to them. They talk to the Bodhis who are friendly but act somewhat weird at the same time. The three teenagers then decide to go to a diner for lunch.At the diner, Damon tells Michael and Samantha that he is going to make a quick errand and go to an auto parts shop to pick up parts for the camper. When he returns, Damon says that the store was closed but he noticed that the owner was unresponsive. Samantha tells Damon that he was more than likely asleep. Before leaving the diner, Michael calls for the bill and insists that Damon pay for their meal, much to Damon's chargin after he says that Michael didn't even like his meal. When the waitress brings the bill, her hair is all messed up and her nose is bleeding as well. Meanwhile, Dr. Tracer and Captain Wells are examining the deformed corpse of the local lieutenant at a hotel. The lieutenant became deformed as a result of the alien virus. Blood from the lieutenant's face splatters on the shirt of Captain Wells. Dr. Tracer and Captain Wells then go to a secret NASA laboratory outside the village to work on a cure. Dr. Tracer intends on using Wells as a guinea pig for the cure. When Wells finds out he is infected due to the lieutenant's blood splattering on his shirt, he tells Dr. Tracer that he is unsure whether to kill the doctor or himself. He then tells Dr. Tracer to find another "guinea pig" and commits suicide by shooting himself in the head. Back at the trailer park, Samantha has had enough of being treated unfairly by Michael and Damon and decides to take the dune buggy and look around the village for the rest of the day. Michael and Damon decide to repair the camper. While in the village, Samantha encounters Dr. Tracer, but ignores the doctor's plea to come with him on behalf of the alien virus. While at a local grocery store, Samantha encounters an infected man wearing a weird mask who then takes her outside to have her smashed by a garbage truck driven by an infected villager. Samantha however, escapes her fate by attacking the masked man and leaves him to get run over by the truck. She is then confronted by Dr. Tracer again who takes her to the local hotel to work on a cure for the alien virus. She then wanders around the hotel hallway and notices that all but one door is locked. She then goes inside the unlocked room and notices, to her horror, the deformed corpse of the lieutenant. An alien then bursts out of the lieutenant's face and nearly attacks Samantha, but she is saved by Dr. Tracer.Later that night, Michael and Damon are still repairing the camper. They realize that Samantha has been gone unusually long, and decide to go into the village to look for her. Michael tells Damon to see Mr. Bodhi for help on getting the camper started back up. Damon knocks on the Bodhis' trailer door, but there is no answer. Damon then wanders in to ask for help, only to see the corpses of Mrs. Bodhi and Baby Bodhi, the Bodhis' daughter, and presumably the face-bursting aliens too. Damon runs out sickened and throws up in a garbage can. Michael thinks that Damon is joking around, but Damon insists that he is not and tells Michael to look in the trailer for himself. He opens the door and notices a spilled bottle of tomato juice as well as Baby's tricycle and doll. Mr. Bodhi's bloody corpse then falls down and shocks Michael, who immediately closes the trailer door. Michael and Damon immediately drive the camper back into the village to look for Samantha. Upon arriving, they go inside the hotel and find Samantha as well as Dr. Tracer, whom they pin down to the floor under the impression he kidnapped Samantha. Dr. Tracer tells Michael and Damon that it isn't what they think and Samantha tells them to let the doctor go, which they do. Dr. Tracer then explains about what is really going on and about the alien virus. He also mentions that if nothing is done about the virus, then all of Europe will get wiped out in 9 weeks. Michael then drives the dune buggy to the NASA lab, after Tracer mentions a canister that could provide a cure. On his way to the lab, Michael is confronted by a Fiat, which he successfully outruns.At the lab, Michael encounters the corpse of Captain Wells, and an alien that has unleashed itself from Wells' face. Michael then steps on the alien to kill it and finds the canister. The lab alarm then goes off into self-destruct mode, but despite losing the card key for the elevator, Michael successfully escapes from the lab with the canister before it explodes. While driving back in the village, Michael is confronted once again by the same Fiat that pursued him earlier. Once again, Michael successfully out-drives the Fiat, causing it to flip over and explode. Arriving back to the camper, Tracer then develops the cure and applies it to the three teenagers. Tracer then uses the camper radio to call for a napalm air strike of the village so that the virus will not spread anywhere else. After that, Tracer reveals that he himself, is infected. Deciding that it is too late for him to inject himself with the cure, he runs out of the camper. Damon tries to convince the doctor that it isn't too late for him to be cured and to come with him, Michael and Samantha so that they can take him to the nearest hospital for help. The doctor tells Damon to escape from the village while he still can and is immediately run over by the garbage truck. Damon runs back into the camper and he, Michael and Samantha escape. The garbage truck is also in pursuit of the three teenagers, but Damon manages to shoot one of the truck's tires, causing it to slow down. The three successfully drive out of the village alive after the air strike hits the village, destroying the garbage truck as well.While driving around on the way to Madrid, the three teenagers decide to stop at a gas station to refuel the camper. At first, everything seems to be okay, until the gas station attendant's nose starts to bleed and opens his jump suit to unleash a horrible alien from his face and chest cavity. Blood starts going everywhere, including a 1950s-esque billboard on top of the gas station and the alien leaps onto the camper window. The three teenagers attempt to escape, without any luck at first, but Damon then turns on the camper windshield to get the alien off the window and the camper eventually starts up. As the alien attempts to bite one of the camper's tires, Damon runs it over and the three move on. While Michael and Samantha are in the back of the camper and as Damon drives the camper into Madrid, Damon scratches his arm and his nose starts bleeding, indicating that he too, is now infected and that Dr. Tracer's supposed cure did not work. As the camper ascends into Madrid, the familiar sounds of an alien munching its way out of Damon's face can be heard. The movie ends there. | violence | train | imdb | The townspeople are being infected by the alien microbes, turning into deranged, beer throwing hosts for alien predators.Fun film is a bit slower going than you'd expect, spending time on the characters' love triangle.
We briefly meet a family including a guy who sounds like a Three Stooges reject.
There's also a smartass bearded guy who's awesome and isn't in the film nearly as long as he should be.
The young American tourists in Spain encounter lethal alien lifeforms that were brought to Earth by Apollo 14 then tested on animals aboard SkyLab.But SkyLab has now crashed to Earth and the aliens have survived,infect the locals and messily killing them.The trio of young people pick up a NASA scientist who has to get an antidote to a nearby laboratory."Alien Predator" was one of the very first horror films I have seen as the kid.That's why I can't give it a negative rating,even though the pace is lethargic and the gore is kept to minimum.However the film is suitably dark and atmospheric and offers a few creepy moments.The acting is decent and the characters are likeable.6 out of 10..
But it's far from relaxing, when everyone they encounter in the sleepy village seems to be acting weird and they come across a NASA scientist who claims the town has been infected by aliens, and soon they would follow the same fate.
Writer / Director Deran Sarafian's film "The Falling" AKA "Alien Predator" seems to cop a real shellacking, however I didn't mind it.
However there's no denying how inane and silly this outing eventually turns out to be, especially after some effective build-ups (like the opening to the film).
What's really unconvincing has got to be the rubber beasties (at first you think it might be a virus/parasite) that finally make it in towards the end, but before that lousy letdown the potent gore FX leading up to it comes off really well with its grisly splatter.
Dennis Christopher, Martin Hewitt and the perky Lynn-Holly Johnson were surprisingly enjoyable, if quite overstated with the flimsy characters.
As bad of a movie this is, it can still be viewed as a good (rainy)Saturday afternoon time-waster.
There are far worse(halloween:resurrection)movies out there.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes campy, b-grade, low-budget type films.
The plot is a bit far-fetched, especially finding the three main characters were never infected despite having been in close contact with some many others that were, and badly dated.
In places, the movie could have moved on a little faster, but in others it was worthy of attention.
I watched this movie as my attention was focused on a bit of paperwork, but at times, I was compelled to fix my eyes on the screen.
If you run across it on your TV schedule and find there is nothing else to watch, you might find a bit of enjoyment in watching this film, but if CashCab is playing on the Discovery Channel, you should watch it instead.
However, there is a pretty cool head-explosion scene and a nicely understated ending.
Very nearly the, if not THE worst film I've ever seen.
Most bad movies at least partly redeem themselves, if only by achieving "so bad it's good" status.
I can't tell you what the monster really looks like, because I was only allowed tiny glimpses of it, not even enough to try to guess its species, never mind being afraid of it.Bottom line is, they just shouldn't have bothered.Bernie.
I've seen a lot of bad movies, but this ranks near the bottom of them all.
Sometimes obscure low budget movies can be quite entertaining, such as "Time Walker" and "Star Crash", but this film is just plain boring.
The alien in the title has about 45 seconds of screen time total, and when it finally does show itself it isn't even very threatening.
The rest of the film is slow and poorly acted, and sometimes just doesn't make much sense.
Three friends go to Spain for a vacation, but their fun is cut short when a deadly group of aliens begin killing off everybody.
This was one of those films I really loved as a kid and it was one of the very first horror films I ever owned, but today as an adult it is pretty boring stuff.
Has a cast of has beens who are actually pretty appealing, especially Dennis Christopher who proved what a great actor he was in Breaking Away.
Sometimes reputed as the sequel to 'The Thing', and most certainly much suggests this after viewing, but as I can't substantiate this, I will say at the very least it's a seminal followup.Things start out well, with three American friends on a road trip to Spain, when some weird goings on starts to take place.
For the first half, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and there are a lot of very funny moments, thanks to the sharp script, and appealing leads.
However, In stark contrast to this, later the film metamorphoses in tone, and turns somewhat sombrely, with gruesome make-up effects, shock tactics, and so on.I admit, I quite like this flick, and have revisited it several times.
But, in my opinion, the inconsistent tone stops it from being great, as this is genuinely entertaining initially, but when the horror cliché's kick in, your interest wains, and things ultimately get a bit, well, dull.
NO one believed me there was a movie called Alien Preditors.
Kids on vacation in Spain come across some old lab that fell from space that contained a little monster.
If you like monster,80s horror with a slice of science fiction thrown in, you'll love this movie.
Three collage kids go on a road trip to Spain, and run into some pretty ugly stuff.
Well, if you want to know what made me laugh until I exploded, then I'll tell you, Well one of the collage kids is being chased by the Jeepers Creepers truck!!!
Then the camera zooms in on the girl and she says "Don't worry about him, hes Hollywood's best star driver!" And then the movie plays this retarded song that sound like it came out of Legends of the Hidden Temple when the kids are victorious.
Bad Funny Sci-Fi. Bad but funny Sci-Fi movie.Very low budget.Average story and good lead young stars.Does not take itself too seriously so it is to be viewed like a cartoon.Only for fans of B-movie Sci-Fi horror and big fans of the lead actors.......
The plot: Three friends encounter a malevolent alien after driving in an RV and a field of cattle die from some sort of bloody infection.I must say, the cow corpses are pretty nasty for those who do not like to see raw meat.
And the blood and gore in this film in general is pretty decent, definitely something worth checking out if you are into that.I think the one guy does a great Rod Serling impression, and later they run into a Talky Tina doll.
Amazing that actors that had appeared in such huge films wound up in this garbage.I like bad SciFi. This was dull and boring SciFi. Very different, not interesting.Also, Martin is one of the most beautiful men to ever be put in film.Why a film maker would have someone with his physical appeal in a movie and not exploit it, even just a little bit, is so beyond me.Similar problem with Yellowbeard.
But is never shown shirtless.Though some promotional photos did show him shirtless.It makes you wish David Decouteau was in charge of all of these movies.There is a director who knows how to make use of a pretty male..
Awful Film With a Few Laughs Along the Way. The Falling (1985) * (out of 4) Three American teens (Dennis Christopher, Martin Hewitt, Lynn-Holly Johnson) are traveling through Spain in their RV when they cross paths with an evil alien or something meant to be an alien.
Producer Carlos Aured began his career as a director doing a number of Paul Naschy films but he turned to a producer in 1984 with MONSTER DOG and this here turned out to be his second and last job.
This entire film is a pretty big, worthless mess that has very little going for it.
In fact, the only reason this thing doesn't get a BOMB rating is that there are thankfully some really bad moments that are so bad that you can't help but laugh at them.
I'm really not sure what was going on during this scene but it seems like Johnson was trying get show "anger" by doing some sort of karate moves with her hands.
Both Christopher and Hewitt aren't much better as the two of them pretty much sleepwalk through their roles.
The entire film is incredibly boring thanks in large part to a screenplay that simply doesn't have anything going.
The only thing this has going for it outside the unintentional laughs are some mild gore effects but once the creature shows up you'll be asking yourself WTF.
THE FALLING is a bad movie from start to finish and one that most are going to want to skip..
Campy fun, especially the three leads, two young guys and a girl, goofing off on their vacation in Europe.
One who likes to do impressions, the other keeps flirting with her, and she's a little air-headed but all fun to be around.Everyone else takes their characters *so* seriously that it's funny, so tape it on Sci Fi (I'm not sure if it's on video) and watch it for a fun movie that you can MiST/riff along with the leads..
Dennis Christopher, Lynn Holly Johnson, Martin Hewitt.Alien microbes taken from the moon are tampered with on a skylab which suddenly re-enters earth's atmosphere and crash lands in Duarte, Spain spreading an alien virus amongst humans and animals living in the nearby area.
I do however wanted to see more of the aliens and what they were like.
They only appear twice at the end!!!Shot in Spain in 1984.
Also known as THE FALLING, MUTANT 2 (U.K.), COSMOS MORTAL (Spain), ALIEN PREDATORS (U.S. Video Box Art Title).
Why does Dennis Christopher get junk like this?.
BREAKING AWAY and DON'T CRY IT'S ONLY THUNDER showed what a great actor Christopher is.
The only good think about it is that this movie finally broke FVI Films - makers of similarly crappy films..
"Alien Predator" is a pretty terrible movie, but its redeeming points are there.
What it's about is three young people heading through Spain in a RV on vacation.
They come across a town called Duarte and discover that the nearly deserted village is populated by some strange people who get nosebleeds a lot.
What's going on is that, five years before, there was a space station that had been doing some nice, little experiments ("The results on the test animals were horrendous!") and, somehow, all that loveliness came crashing down into a Spanish desert just outside of Duarte.
Now, they have to figure out how they're going to save the world from microbes that are already airborne and cause everybody who comes into close contact with them to go nuts within 48 hours of original contact before exploding in a gory mess as an alien creature emerges from their bodies.
Despite how cheezy the movie is, it generates some fairly well-executed moments of tension and suspense.
Another thing is that most of the cast holds up pretty well, and, furthermore, there are some great moments of humor.
Even with redeeming points, this is one of those movies that's just so bad it's bad.
Sure, the acting was generally good, but the actors were working with what they had been given, and what they had been given was not a whole hell of a lot.
I must say that the characters aren't really people that you'd be wanting to save the world, seeing as how, in their spare time, they are competing for sex, even after the trouble has long begun.
I think the main reason that I don't have a problem with the ending is this: Why should the world be saved?
More like a comedy than a horror.
This came across as exactly what I'd expected, low budget 80s b-movie, one of those ones that seems like they shot over a week's vacation.
Though that's not a good thing for a horror most of the time.
Luckily the reason why I was laughing was because of some of the stuff Dennis Christopher said or did, like running after the RV and when he gets in "We can go now." You'd have to watch to see why that would be funny.
Also it was pretty clear someone had a thing for The Twilight Zone with thing like the Talking Tina doll reference...twice...and it's also mentioned several times.
In the end though it's still worth a watch when you've got nothing better to do or like one or more of the actors in it..
For whatever reason, the enormous box it came in said that this movie is worth it's eighty dollars in Canadian money...
It may say 'Alien Predators', and while the title may be a jab at it's competitors at the same time, it actually does contain a little bit of each.
Three pals on a trip to Spain come to the land to enjoy some partying out and kicking back for some good times (stay tuned for a very spot-on Rod Serling impersonation by the suave main lead), only to realize there's been a hostile takeover...
For reasons I am not able to record because of the shoddy television set I was using to play it, they are contractible little buggers feeding off of the humans in the town.
Quite like 'The Italian Job', though considering the action I was seeing all over the place, it might as well be something like 'Vigilante 8' or 'Twisted Metal'.Unfortunately, after the Russian guy is infected (for reasons I dunno, but considering that he talked at a snail's pace next to Dennis's wisecracking awesomeness, this was for the best), so they must travel on.
The ending is deliciously morbid, and I, for one, loved every minute of it.Please release this again but in a way where I can actually see something not entirely enshrouded in darkness (this goes for you too, Mutant - Jesus, the whole thing is shot in pitch BLUE and BLACK), so I can enjoy this movie once again.Those who said they didn't like this movie were obviously the ones who grew up watching kiddie movies while all the awesome people loved the horror ones..
Here we have yet another crappy B-movie hiding under a number of different titles to try and get unsuspecting horror fans to watch it, I found it under the title of MUTANT II although it bears absolutely no similarity to the first film in any way, shape or form.
Instead what we have is a Spanish-set (because it was cheap to film there, I guess) teen movie which occasionally has a small, pathetic alien monster pop up to kill off minor cast members before disappearing again.I pretty much hated most of this movie, even down to the rip-off title.
You'll often find it sitting in "worst movie" threads and in this case I would be forced to agree, as I found very little indeed to enjoy.
The best thing the film has going for it is Dennis Christopher.
Christopher has made a career starring in junk like this (anyone see THE SILENCERS?
At least he's the only guy to actually try and act and, although his character is irritating in the extreme, you still end up liking him.
Unlike the other two "teenage" stars Martin Hewitt and Lynn-Holly Johnson; unbelievable and wooden are two good words to describe their particular acting style.Hmm I couldn't care less about the plot of this film, not that there really is much of one.
For a start, we see a space pod land on earth and five years later a cow gives birth to an alien monster in a pretty yucky scene.
There's a love triangle thing going on with this trio and it gets boring really quickly.
The alien predator can spread from person to person and also impregnates them (hmm, where have we heard that before?).Unexplainedly the townsfolk (whom we never actually SEE) block the only exit from the town and run around in armoured vehicles killing off various innocent folk.
For a moment I thought I was watching a re-run of DUEL again as characters engage in various night-time car chases while cheesy '80s music plays in the background and credibility goes out of the window.
In the end the film just kind of finishes without any resolution and the "threatening" monster is killed in the lamest way imaginable, being wiped off somebody's windscreen with the windscreen wipers and crushed under the wheel of the car.
I'm not sure if this was a spoof on the old horror convention of having indestructible monsters but it wasn't a very funny one at that.
A shame because the special effects of the briefly-seen slimy arachnid monster are pretty cool, it's just a shame that the creature is so small as to hardly pose any threat whatsoever.Filled with boring scenes of action, bad acting from most of the cast and poorly-produced to boot, I can't really see any reason to recommend this film at all.
All I can say is that some of the special effects are yucky but these are only glimpsed due to the low budget.
As for being scary, well no, but actually some of the weirdo townsfolk are pretty creepy (the guy in the spooky mask and the wild-haired waitress are but two) and more frightening than the actual monster in the film.
My best advice is to avoid this no-budget mess of a film and actually get something substantial instead. |
tt1298594 | The Presence | The film opens with images of a foggy river running through a densely wooded area. Next to the river, theres a quiet, empty cabin. Each room of the cabin is silent and still. A man (Shane West) in a white long sleeve shirt is standing silently staring out a window. Theres a dock to the river outside the cabin. The man is then at the kitchen table, staring silently outside. Music on an old record player is playing while the man is sitting in the living room in the dark.In the morning, the man is staring out the window. Theres a storm outside. A crash of thunder and a loud bang sound throughout the empty cabin. The bang catches the mans attention. The front door is open and he stares at it. The door behind him flings open and a figure in a rain poncho walks through the living room. Its a woman (Mira Sorvino). She doesnt see the man because he is a Ghost. She hangs up her raincoat in a closet and closes the door. She then opens the door again and steps back. The door closes on its own and The Woman smiles. The Ghost is standing in the corner of the room watching her with a furrowed brow. She walks through the house with her bags and goes into a bedroom and starts to unpack. She looks at old black and white photos sitting on a dresser. She then goes to the kitchen and lights a gas lantern. She pumps water into the sink, fills a kettle, and puts it on the wood burning stove. She starts to unpack some groceries and reaches into a high cupboard and pulls out a bottle of alcohol that she knew was there. She smiles, uncorks it, smells it smiling, and sets it on the counter. She then notices a coffee mug on the kitchen table, picks it up, and blows dust off it. The tea kettle whistles. We see a meadow at sunset. The Woman is at the kitchen table with a lantern having dinner and a glass of wine. She finishes her meal and takes her dishes to the sink. Through the kitchen window, we see the Ghost slowly appear behind her, watching her with a furrowed brow.In the morning, theres a rainbow over the river. The Woman leaves the cabin and takes a motorboat down the river. We next see her back at the cabin. Shes walking outside and we see the Ghost standing at a window watching her. She goes to an outhouse in the woods. She looks at the outhouse and pauses. She picks up a stick and goes in the outhouse. We hear banging from inside the outhouse and then silence. A bird then flies into the side of the outhouse and dies. The Woman comes out slowly with the stick, looks around the side, and sees the dead bird. She kneels and touches it gently. We then see the Ghost looking out the window, watching her as she digs a small hole and places the bird gently in the grave. He looks less angry as he watches her.Its nighttime and The Woman is sitting in the living room listening to a record. The windup record player slowly stops playing. The Ghost is sitting across from her watching her. She puts out the fire and takes the lantern upstairs. The Woman gets in bed and blows out the lantern. The record then suddenly starts playing on its own. The Woman relights the lantern and slowly walks downstairs. She goes into the living room. The Ghost is sitting by the record player. She shuts off the record and goes back to bed.In the morning, The Woman is arranging books on the table and opens a notebook to start writing when she hears a boat. The Ghost is standing in the doorway. She stands to look outside and sees a boat coming towards the dock. The Ghost and The Woman each stand at a window and watch the approaching boat. The Woman heads downstairs and walks down the dock. An old man (Muse Watson) gets out of the boat with a box of groceries while a young man in a black hooded sweater (Adam Croce) waits in the boat. The Woman asks Mr. Browman if he would like some coffee, but he declines and says he needs to get back to the store. He asks her if shes okay in the cabin. She happily says she is. He says hed be scared to be there and she says shell be fine. He says its creepy and she insists shell be fine. He says okay and then tells her he brought her some fresh chickens and tells her to keep them in the shed because the weather is cold enough to make the shed like a refrigerator. She thanks him. The Ghost in the house watches as the storeowner gets back in the boat and leaves. We next see The Woman taking the chickens out to the shed. She walks in and leaves the door open. A shadow forms on the wall outside of the shed and the door slams shut startling The Woman. She goes to the door and looks out the window as the shadow recedes. She tries to open the door but struggles with it for a few moments before it opens. She steps out panting and nervous.The woods and river are quiet as it starts to rain. The Woman is inside and notices a bookcase open. She shuts it and starts to walk away when she kicks a book that somehow ended up on the floor in the middle of the room. She picks it up and looks back at the case wondering how it got there. She opens the book The Complete Outdoorsmans Handbook and flips through the pages. In the book is an old newspaper clipping. She pulls it out and reads the headline Escaped Criminal Drowns: Man accused of murder found dead in Piken Lake. She puts the clipping back in the book.We next see The Woman that night lying in bed biting her fingernail. The Ghost is in the bedroom watching her as she blows out the lantern. The next morning, The Woman is startled awake and opens her eyes quickly. The Ghost is lying next to her staring her in the face. She quickly gets out of bed and looks around the room. The Ghost, still lying on the bed, watches her. She gets dressed and leaves the room. She sits at the kitchen table with a steaming mug, then goes into the living room and gets her cell phone from her purse. She takes it outside and makes a call asking for Mr. Browman. He isnt there, but she leaves a message that shes just checking in. She goes back in the cabin and puts her phone back in the purse. She then leaves the cabin wearing a heavy coat. The Ghost is standing at the door and looks as though he wants to follow her but cant. She walks through the dense woods and goes to the outhouse, again taking a stick in with her. We hear banging and then silence. Once again, a bird flies into the side of the outhouse and dies.The Ghost is looking out a window at a storm when the record player starts. He is then in the living room looking at the record player with a furrowed brow. Behind him, The Woman is also staring at the record player looking nervous. Neither of them turned it on. The front door then bangs open startling The Woman. A man (Justin Kirk) walks in and she hugs him. The Man is happy to see that she isnt angry at him for coming unannounced. The record player slowly stops playing. The Woman takes his coat and The Man tells her that Mr. Browman brought him to the island. The Man comments that Mr. Browman told him that there had been a storm the day shed arrived to the island as well. He looks around the cabin and asks her about the summers shed spent there as a child. He asks her to show him around and then points out the record player. She brushes it off and takes the record off the turntable. She suggests they unpack his bags and he says theres no hurry and says she can show him around first. He asks her if shes okay and she nods. They hug and The Man tells The Woman that hes missed her. Then he whispers in her ear and she laughs. They lie down on the couch and hold each other and laugh. The Ghost is upstairs listening to them.Later that day, the storm stops and The Woman shows The Man around the cabin. She takes him into her bedroom and tells him he can unpack. She tells him about her childhood summers at the cabin with her family. She talks about playing hide-and-seek and tells him she had the best hiding place on the entire island and offers to show it to him sometime. He pulls out a bottle of wine from his bag and she says theyll have it with dinner. They kiss and then The Man notices the black and white pictures on the dresser and asks if the people are her grandparents. She says yes and The Man comments that her grandmother was beautiful. The Woman says that her grandmother meant the world to her and tells The Man that her grandfather bought the cabin because her grandmother wanted it and that her grandfather hardly ever came to the cabin. The Man comments that she never talks about her grandfather. The Woman says that there isnt a need to because he wasnt a good guy. The Man asks, Like your dad? The Woman considers for a moment and says, Sure. She turns and walks away.That night, over dinner, The Man is telling The Woman about a party shed missed and says he wished shed been there. She says she needed to be at the cabin. He says he just likes having her around, and The Woman says that hell get a lot of her at the cabin. He says he hopes that it was okay that he came to the island.That night, in the dark, The Man wakes up The Woman and says he needs to go to the bathroom. She jokingly says, I told you to go before we went to bed, young man. She lights the lantern and gives it to him telling him to pee off the porch. He says thats not what he needs to do. She gives him directions to follow the path to the outhouse and he asks if shell walk him out there. She smiles at him and closes her eyes. He gets out of bed and the Ghost is standing next to the bed watching them. Before The Man leaves, The Woman tells him to use a stick to get rid of the spiders on the seat. The Man follows the path, sees the outhouse, and says, Youve got to be kidding me. He picks up a stick and goes inside. He closes the door and bangs the stick around the seat multiple times. He sits down to relieve himself and the lantern falls and breaks leaving him in the dark. Then the outhouse starts to shake and bang. He runs from the outhouse as a dense fog begins to roll in. He gets back in bed and wraps his arms around The Woman. She asks if it went okay but he doesnt answer.The next morning, The Woman takes The Man to see her favorite hiding spot. She shows him the small window that leads to the crawl space under the house. She says she sometimes used to go in there even when they werent playing hide-and-seek and that it was a good place to be alone. He seems surprised and asks if she got scared down there. She says no, that it stayed cool in there during the summer and she enjoyed listening to her grandmother move around the kitchen. The Woman says she felt safe there. She then asks The Man about his visit to the outhouse the night before. He sighs and shakes his head and she asks if he was scared. He says, Cmon, youve seen that place. She agrees and says thats why she doesnt go there in the dark. The Man says it wouldnt have been so bad if it hadnt been for all the banging. The Woman looks startled. The Man says it was from tree branches banging against the walls from the wind.They go for a walk around the island. The Woman shows The Man a great view from a cliff and tells him its another of her secret places. He says its beautiful and then says shes beautiful. He tells her that their 3 years together have been the best of his life. He says that he knows she has doubts and he understands why, but he doesnt have any doubts. He says he wants to spend his life with her and start a family with her. He pulls a ring box from his pocket and asks her to marry him. She pauses and looks unsure. He says hes not like the men from her family, he knows that its hard for her to believe that hes a good man, and he assures her that she can trust him and have faith in him. She doesnt respond, so he closes the ring box, takes her hand, gives it to her, and asks her to think about it. They hug for a moment and then suddenly theres a whisper and the edge of the cliff gives way beneath his feet. The Man falls over the edge, but The Woman grabs his arms and helps him back onto the cliff. They lie down next to each other panting and then start to laugh. She tells him she loves him and then says shell marry him. They kiss and he asks if anybody has made love on the cliff before. The Woman laughs and then sits up in a panic looking for the ring. Shed had it in her hand when The Man fell and she doesnt know where it went. After an unsuccessful search, they go back to the cabin. She apologizes for losing the ring and The Man says its okay, she was saving his life. He hugs her and she apologizes again.Later that day, The Man is taking a nap and The Woman is outside on a bench with a book in her lap. The Ghost is in the bedroom watching The Man sleep when he hears whispering. The Ghost is then in the living room looking out the window where The Woman is now asleep on the bench. The Ghost doesnt know where the whispering is coming from. A little later, The Man wakes up from his nap and calls for his girlfriend. He finds her outside on the bench reading and comments that its cold outside. The Woman aloofly replies that shes fine. The Man asks her why she didnt wake him up and she responds without looking at him that she thought he needed sleep. The Man asks if theyre going to eat and The Woman responds that shes going to keep working and she still doesnt look at him. The Man asks if shell help him light the stove since he hasnt done it before. The Woman finally looks at him and says coldly, If you want to be here, you have to take care of yourself. Its not that hard. The Man looks hurt and goes back inside. In the kitchen, hes preparing to light the stove when The Woman comes in and helps him.The next morning, The Woman brings a mug to The Man in bed and says its a peace offering and apologizes for her behavior the night before. The Man tells her its okay and offers to leave so she can do her work alone, saying he can go when the storeowner comes back to the island. She says no and tells him shes glad hes there. In the kitchen, The Man is helping The Woman with the dishes. She thanks him for helping and he jokes that hed make a good wife. The Woman laughs. The Man says hes going to go explore the island and leave her to her work, and that hell make dinner when he gets back. He jokes that the stove might get the best of him and The Woman asks if hed like her help lighting it. The Man says no and tells her that hes watched her do it and he can figure it out. He leaves to explore the island and walks past the Ghost whos standing in the corner with his fists clenched and his brow furrowed.When The Man comes back from his walk, he has wildflowers for The Woman. She smiles and he asks her about her day. She says shes having trouble getting focused and asks him about his walk. He says he took the worlds longest hike and comments that the island is a lot bigger than he thought. He tells her that hes about to start dinner and jokingly says that it will be ready in about five hours. She thanks him for the flowers and he goes downstairs.The Ghost is watching The Man in the kitchen making dinner when he hears the whispering again. He looks around him and then looks up to the ceiling when he realizes the whispering is coming from upstairs. The Ghost walks up the stairs and peers around the corner to see a man in a black suit (Tony Curran) kneeling beside The Woman whispering in her ear. Only bits of what hes saying can be heard: What hell do to you disgusting it makes you sick, doesnt it? It makes me sick too. The Woman looks upset as shes working. As The Man in Black is speaking, he turns and looks at the Ghost smiling maliciously. The Ghost steps back into the hallway. The whispering stops and the Ghost peers back into the room. The Woman is alone. When the Ghost steps back into the hall, The Man in Black is behind him and quietly says, Boo. When the Ghost spins around, The Man in Black is not there. The Ghost looks frightened.That evening, The Man goes upstairs and enthusiastically tells the Woman that dinner is ready. She doesnt look up. The Man tells her that he made spaghetti and he thinks its pretty good. The Woman stonily tells him that shes going to keep working. The Man laughs uncomfortably and starts to object. The Woman says that she has to keep working and thats why she came to the cabin. The Man says, Right, I just thought and The Woman cuts him off and cruelly says, Its not fair of you to keep asking me to spend time with you when I didnt even want you here. The Man asks her what happened. She yells at him to just leave her alone. The Man is hurt and walks back downstairs alone. Later that night, The Man is awake in bed when The Woman gets in bed. Their backs are to each other and neither speaks. The Ghost is in the room facing the window but looking at them over his shoulder.The next morning, The Man takes a mug outside to The Woman who is sitting on the bench. He offers her the coffee and she doesnt look at him. He sits next to her and gives her the mug. He says he did alright with the coffee and that hes getting pretty good in the kitchen. She doesnt drink the coffee. The Man puts his hand on her knee and she moves away and quickly stands up saying she needs to get started on her work. She goes inside, leaving The Man alone on the bench, and walks past the Ghost who is in the living room looking out the window.Suddenly The Man in Black is behind the Ghost. The Man in Black says, See how easy it can be?" The Man in Black tell the Ghost that it wouldn't take much for The Woman to be his. The Ghost looks away from him. The Man in Black says to the Ghost, I know youve thought about it. Ive watched you. As they look out the window at The Man on the bench, The Man in Black asks the Ghost, But then, what can you do? The Ghost disappears leaving The Man in Black in the living room. In the kitchen, the Ghost is looking out the window. The Man in Black is behind him and taunting him that he can't have The Woman. The Ghost spins around and looks at The Man in Black. The Man in Black asks the Ghost. Why would you even try? The Ghost disappears again. The Man in Black looks up to ceiling. The Ghost is upstairs. The Man in Black is again behind the Ghost and says, You cant do much of anything really. The Ghost spins around and looks at him. The Man in Black tells the Ghost that he could have many things, pleasures that hes been denied for a long time. The Man in Black holds up a cigarette and says that the Ghost can enjoy old vices that can no longer harm him. The Ghost is listening to The Man in Black. The Man in Black says, Escape from this place, and approaches the Ghost. The Man in Black tells him that his eternity is only just beginning. He asks if he really wants to spend eternity trapped in the cabin. The Man in Black says, "Imagine being anywhere you want any time. Freedom. The Man in Black smiles at the Ghost before continuing. Or, he says putting his arm around the Ghosts shoulders, would you rather spend it even in a different way. The Man in Black looks into the hallway. The Woman is slowly walking out of a room and goes to the stairs. She looks over the rail. The Man in Black looks at the Ghost and says, I can give you many things. Then, whispering, The Man in Black says, I can give you everything. The Man in Black disappears and the Ghost is alone in the room. The voice of The Man in Black says, Its your choice.That night, The Man and the Woman are having dinner in the kitchen. They arent speaking to each other, but there is whispering. The Ghost watches The Man in Black kneeling between the couple whispering to them. The Man in Black says to The Woman, Hes going to molest your children. You have to see that. The Man in Black leans to The Man and says, You have to understand that she does not want any commitment at all. The Ghost is listening to The Man in Black as he whispers. The Man in Black turns and looks at the Ghost and says, Easy. The Ghost looks uneasy. The Man in Black stands, approaches the Ghost, and says to him, Just give me your hand and youll be free. The Ghost looks concerned. The Man in Black says, You only have to do one thing and she can be all yours. The Man in Black looks over his shoulder at The Man. The Ghost understands the implication and looks stunned. The Man in Black tells him to think about it.The next morning, The Man is outside on the bench. The Ghost is in the living room looking at him through the window. The Man in Black says to the Ghost, Youll be no different than you are now. The Man in Black is watching the Ghost. He approaches the Ghost and joins him at the window looking at The Man. The Man in Black says, He may even take your place. The Man stands from the bench and walks away from the cabin. The Man in Black tells the Ghost, You cant get something for nothing. The Man in Black backs away from the Ghost heading towards the door. The Ghost closes his eyes looking dismayed. The Man in Black says to the Ghost, You of all people should know that. The front door opens slowly. The Ghost looks at The Man in Black standing by the door. The Man in Black holds out his hand. The Ghost approaches him slowly. He pauses in front of The Man in Black. He looks from his hand to his face and then takes his hand. The Man in Black leads the Ghost outside. The Ghost steps outside alone and closes his eyes looking content. The Man in Black steps out of the house and says, Easy. The Ghost sees The Man walking back to the cabin. The Man in Black puts his hand on the Ghosts shoulder and whispers in his ear. The Ghost looks troubled. The Man in Black says, Trust me.In the kitchen, The Woman is cutting vegetables. She takes a drink from the bottle of alcohol she found in the kitchen when she arrived. The Man walks into the kitchen and greets her. She doesnt respond or look at him. The Man asks if shes not talking to him. She still doesnt respond or look at him. The Man says to her, First you say youll marry and now you act like you dont want anything to do with me. She finally responds asking, What do you want me to say. He says he wants her to say that shes happy to be engaged and that she didnt waste 3 years of his life while she was trying to decide if she was capable of being with somebody. She responds asking how she could happy with him pushing her and needling her. She says shes never going to be good enough for him the way she is, which is broken. She tells him that he wants to sweep everything under the rug like nothing ever happened to her just like her family did when she was a kid. She says he wants her to be perfect but that shes not perfect and its not going to ever be perfect. The Man is angry and says that its always the guys fault, even though hes the one guy that always stays when she runs, even out in the middle of nowhere on this island. The Woman tells him that she didnt even want him to come. She says the cabin is her special place and that he wont even let her have that. She says that he invaded and took over and started following her around and then yells at him for looking at her the wrong way. She accuses him of trying to control her just like he did. The Man asks how she could ever compare him to her father. She says that her mother didnt even know and that she wouldnt see it. The Woman says she wont sign up for a life like that bringing children into a world thats a living hell. The Man tells her to stop and asks her who she is. Shes holding her hands up defensively, even though The Man is not being aggressive. He tells her to calm down. The Woman asks if he knows how many people showed up to her fathers funeral. She said it was 500 people, practically the whole town, and they were all singing the praises of this good man. The people had no idea what hed been doing to her for all those years. The Woman asks The Man how he can know her and how can she know him. The Man says that she knows him. She says that maybe she does finally know him and that maybe she can see though his calm exterior and finally see him for who he really is. She tells him that shes done and that it was a mistake for him to come to the cabin. He says okay and tells her that hell leave as soon as the storeowner comes back. The Woman tells him Mr. Browman wont be back for 3 days, so The Man says that hell take the boat. She says that hell get lost and then shell just have to come rescue him. He asks her what she wants him to do. She yells that she wants him to take charge and call Mr. Browman to come pick him up and get off her island. He says he will. She leaves the kitchen. The man goes upstairs to get her phone, but the battery doesnt have power. He yells that the phone is dead because she left it on, so hes taking the boat. The Man is very upset about the breakup and starts to cry. The Ghost and The Man in Black watch The Man crying. The Ghost looks upset, but The Man in Black is grinning. The Ghost sees The Man in Black smiling at The Mans misery.The Woman is at the cliff also crying. Shes remembering The Man giving her the ring there, thinking about him arriving to the island, and hearing him say that he isnt like the men in her family. Shes thinking about him kissing her and holding her and telling her that hes a good man. The Woman begins to sob. When she turns to leave, she kicks the ring box that she had dropped the day The Man had proposed. She picks it up, opens the box, and pulls out the ring. She puts it on her finger.Back at the cabin, The Man is about to leave the cabin with his bags. He goes in the closet to get his coat. He hears a noise and stops. He drops his bags and steps out of the closet. The noise continues. He leaves the room to investigate the sound and the closet door closes. The Man goes out the back of the house and sees that the window to the crawl space is open. He calls to The Woman and asks if shes alright. Theres no response, so he crawls under the house calling for her. Theres a loud thud and then silence.The Woman is hurrying back to the cabin hoping to catch The Man before he leaves. Shes calling for him and apologizing saying she doesnt know what came over her. She walks into the bedroom to find that The Mans clothes are gone. She thinks hes already left. She starts to cry and sits down on the bed. In the living room, the Ghost is looking out the window and The Man in Black is telling him that it gets easier. The Man in Black says that it becomes fun. He tells the Ghost that there are rewards and that With each one, you grow in the masters eyes. The Ghost looks unsettled. The Man in Black says that the master is good to those who serve him. The Man in Black reminds the Ghost that freedom comes with a price. The Ghost starts to speak but the Man in Black interrupts him and tells him not yet. He tells him that with each task, hell get more and more. The Man in Black whispers to the Ghost, He wants you to prove yourself. The Man in Black tells the Ghost that theyre going to have a little fun.Upstairs in the bedroom, The Woman is lying on the bed crying. The Man in Black concentrates and fills the house with whispers. The Woman hears the voice of her father as though from a memory. Her father is telling her that if she tells her mother hell slap them both. Her fathers voice says shes a good girl and tells her to come here and that he wants to tell her a story. The voice tells her to open the book. The Woman leaves the bedroom and goes into the hallway. The voice of The Man in Black is asking her if she remembers what her father did to her. The Ghost is watching The Man in Black, who is enjoying what hes doing. Suddenly the Man in Black breaks his concentration when theres a quiet rumble outside the cabin. The Ghost also notices the rumble. Upstairs, The Woman grabs the stair rail as the house slightly rattles. The Man in Black looks around uneasily and the Ghost looks frightened. Then The Man in Black and the Ghost hear a noise from beneath them. The Man in Black angrily asks the Ghost what he did. The Ghost looks uncomfortable and The Man in Black yells that The Man had better be dead. The Man in Black disappears.The Woman enters the living room and looks around slowly. The Ghost watches her. Suddenly the closet door flings open startling The Woman. She sees The Mans bags and coat in the closet. The Ghost closes his eyes and concentrates. The Woman seems to sense that the Ghost is there. She walks out of the closet and looks around. The room is empty. The closet door closes startling her again. She asks out loud if someone is there. Theres a bang. She asks, Who are you? Theres no response. She asks, "Are you still here?" Theres a bang. She asks, "Why are you here?" but there is no response. She asks, "Do you live here?" Theres a bang. She asks, "Should I be afraid of you?" She hears two bangs. She looks at her engagement ring and asks, "Did my fiancé leave?" She hears two bangs. She asks, "Is he okay?" She again hears two bangs. She gets frantic and asks, "Where is he?" Theres no response. She then asks, "Do you know where he is?" Theres a bang. She asks where. Theres no response. She asks if hes in the house. Theres no response. She asks if hes outside. Theres no response. She asks, "Are you still here?" Theres a bang. She hears a whisper that sounds like a roar. She quietly asks, "Was that you?" She hears two bangs. She asks, "Who else is here?" Theres no response. She asks, "Is there someone else here?" Theres a bang. She asks, "Should I be afraid of them?" Theres a loud bang and the doors fly open and the curtains move wildly and The Woman screams and falls to the ground covering her head. She runs from the house and sees the window open to the crawl space. She crawls in and sees The Man lying unconscious on the ground.Inside, The Man in Black has the Ghost by his neck against a wall. The Man in Black is angry at the Ghost for communicating with The Woman and tells him how bad things are about to get for him. The Man in Black takes the Ghosts face in his hands and threatens both the Ghost and The Woman. The Ghost is terrified. The Man in Black throws the Ghost across the house.Under the house, The Woman is caressing The Mans head asking him to say something. The Woman starts to cry and then starts to pray. The Man in Black interrupts her, revealing himself to her and saying that she was right about The Man. Shes startled and the window to the crawl space slams shut behind her. The Man in Black tells The Woman that The Man is going to do to her what her father had done and that he's going to do it to her children. She disagrees with The Man in Black, but he smiles at her and tells her, "I'm a good man. You can trust me." The Man in Black said that this is what her father said to her mother the day he proposed to her and that they both know it wasnt true. The Woman asks The Man in Black how he could know that. He says that he was there and that he watched over her mother as hed watched over The Woman growing up. The Man in Black told her that he saw it all and that he knows why she used to come down into the crawl space. The Woman cries and says it wasnt her fault. The Man in Blacks voice whispers that it was the way she behaved in front of her father. The Man in Black says that now The Man wants to do it too, saying that it was the real reason The Man had come to the cabin. The Man in Black says that The Man is never going to leave her alone because men like him never do until they die. The Man in Black tells her that nobody will ever know what goes on at the cabin. He tells her that she can be free of The Man forever and that he can help her. The Man in Black says that she can trust him. The Woman picks up a large rock and raises it over her head crying. The Man in Black is encouraging her to kill her fiancé.Suddenly theres a crash and The Woman hears The Mans voice saying that he wants to spend his life with her and that hes a good man and she can trust him. She hears him telling her that she knows him. She drops the rock on the ground. The Man in Black asks her what shes doing and tells her that she has to stop it. The Woman says that she is going to stop it and that she knows The Man and that he does really love her and she loves him. Then she tells The Man in Black that she knows him and recognizes him. She tells him that he is the liar thats always been around and that shes not going to listen to him anymore. The Man in Black becomes enraged and The Woman tells him that shes not scared of him. The Man in Blacks face distorts into a demonic face, lunges at her, and disappears.The Woman focuses her attention on The Man, telling her unconscious fiancé that shes going to go outside to find something to help her get him out and shell be right back. She gets out of the crawl space and runs to the shed. But The Man in Black is inside. She runs around the shed and The Man in Black is blocking her path. She turns and runs back towards the cabin and The Man in Black is standing next to the opening to the crawl space. She spins around and The Man in Black is right in front of her. She looks him straight in the eye and tells him to do his worst. The Man in Black takes a step toward her when suddenly a twig snaps behind him. The Woman looks over his shoulder and her eyes widen, her jaw drops, and her breath shudders. The Man in Black stops and watches her terrified face for a moment. The Woman turns and runs. The Man in Black slowly turns around and sees what The Woman was staring at. The Man in Black screams in pain and agony for several moments as The Woman crouches next to the crawl space opening.The Ghost is in the living room looking out the window. He sees a darkly clad figure standing in the trees looking at the cabin. The Woman enters the living room and looks out the window. She also sees the figure. Its now closer to the cabin. Suddenly, the figure is gone. The Woman backs away from the window in fear. The Ghost turns and looks at her. He closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment and then yells. The Woman is startled and turns toward him. She can see him now. They look at each other for several moments. The Ghost then whispers, "Forgive me."The front door then starts to rattle and shake. The door opens and the Woodsman (DeObia Oparei) enters the cabin. The Woman backs away fearfully and the Ghost steps forward to protect her. The Ghost holds his hand up and tells the Woodsman no. The Woodsman stops and looks at the Ghost. The Woodsman closes his eyes and, behind him, a brilliant white light fills the doorway. The Ghost is astonished and then also closes his eyes and they silently share the images of their thoughts. The Ghost sees that the Woodsman was on the cliff the day The Man proposed, and when The Man had started to fall from the cliff, the Woodsman gave The Woman the strength to pull The Man back up. The Woodsman sees that the Ghost had opened the closet door to show The Woman that The Man had not left. And The Woman sees that when she returned to the cliff that morning, the Woodsman had placed the ring box where she would find it. The Woodsman and the Ghost open their eyes and look at each other. The Woodsman offers the Ghost his hand. The Ghost is unsure and looks back at The Woman who is crying with happiness. She smiles at him. The Ghost looks back to the Woodsman and takes his hand. The Woodsman leads the Ghost out of the cabin into the brilliant white light outside the door. Before he walks out, the Ghost looks back at The Woman one last time, and the Ghost and the Woodsman are enveloped in the light. The Woman closes her eyes and the light fades. When she opens her eyes, Mr. Browman is in the doorway. She gasps and he apologizes for startling her. Mr. Browman says he was stopping by to check if she was okay. She asks why hes there. Mr. Browman tells her that hes had a funny feeling all day that something was wrong and that hed been trying to call her but couldnt get through. The Woman tells him that her fiancé is hurt badly and they need to get him some help. Mr. Browman asks where The Man is and she tells him hes under the house. Mr. Browman says, "Lets go get him."The Woman is waiting in Mr. Browmans boat. The Man is lying down with his head in her lap. Shes running her hands through his hair. The Man says, "It looks like you had to save me again," and The Woman laughs. She says, "Not really." The Man asks what happened. The Woman shushes him and tells him he needs to rest and that shell tell him later. She tells him that she loves him and kisses him on the forehead. Mr. Browman arrives to the boat, unties from the dock, and sits at the boats wheel. He asks The Woman if shes ready and she nods. The three of them set off for town in the sunset. As the boat passes by, we see the young man in the black hooded sweater appear next to Mr. Browman. The figure leans over and whispers in Mr. Browmans ear. | haunting | train | imdb | The house in which the story unfolds is a character unto itself - beautiful and creepy and very well photographed throughout.A fun and refreshing ghost story, give it a tumble..
It is certainly somewhat of a "chick flick", which probably accounts for many of the negative reviews (I actually don't see why so many guys don't like romantic movies).
On the surface, it's a ghost story, but really it's about a woman struggling to come to terms with the male demons from her past and cast them out.
I went with three other people and while our reaction in some ways was split - two of us loved the opening, which is very quiet, very still and two were not as fond of the opening section as they were the rest of the movie - by the end all of us found the movie very creepy and thought-provoking.
I don't want to give away too much but if you are in the mood for a creepy, tense yet someone romantic twist on a traditional ghost story, and you don't mind being asked to think, this is an excellent film.
Then about 40 minutes in he becomes less like a mannequin and more like crew member of the Enterprise looking for a way to get back to his ship.I was intrigued when the movie started and I saw the ghost sitting or standing staring.
--Right off the bat; just like that; no preamble; as is usually NOT the case with most ghost stories.
The only thing of note in that time is that the woman's boyfriend shows up a little over 20 minutes in or so.
After the 40 minutes --hell way before that-- I began to feel this movie wasn't going to be scary.
Why do most people love ghost stories?
It is definitely not a horror movie, so don't waste your time if your looking for that.
No explanation of certain events.I did watch the entire movie but I could have turned it off at any point as I knew I wasn't going to miss much.
It's a good old fashioned ghost story, it's not a teen's slash and gore horror movie.
Yet it has enough contemporary elements to not bore those who enjoy a supernatural tale.There is a dreamy atmosphere within this world and one of doubt, pain and silent restitute.Another reviewer stated he and his family stayed up after the end of the film arguing over who the ghosts were and what the ultimate ending meant...Thats what a good film does getting those conversations going.
At first I thought it was kind of laughable, but during the course of the movie it got creepier and creepier for me.Filmed in Oregon, the beautiful cinematography seems to be another character in the film as is the haunting film score that sets the mood right from the titles.
The film's opening shots reveal a remote cabin on an island lake in the woods, and there's something ominous in the stillness of these scenes and what they reveal.Mira Sorvino plays a woman who retreats to this, her family's cabin, for some serious alone time to write and reflect.
at least for now.Something about this film reminded me of Passengers (which I really liked) although there's no similarity at all in the story lines.
I saw this at a film festival and loved the movie.
it is a highly original movie.Some of the bad reviews seem to stem from˙the expectation it is a horror film.
It is definitely not a horror film and if someone was expecting that, I can imagine not liking it.
If you're the type of person who only accepts over-sexualized imagery, bright flashing colors, unnecessary loud sounds, shameless product placement, and needless subliminal intrusion, then this film is not for you.If, however, you are the type who enjoys unique concepts expressed in a simple, uncluttered, direct manner, then you may appreciate this film.It has beautiful scenery, good original music, and good acting.
With so much garbage put there like these boring zombie and slasher movies that ate supposed to scare you a movie that actually does scare you like The Presence it gets slammed not just by critics but by regular people as well that didn't give it a chance because of the greasy palmed critics..The Presence was great it wasn't the scariest although I got the chills many times but it told a good.story about a father and daughter with an amazing twist as the end.
I have read other reviews about how the movie was too boring at the beginning and think, "What did you expect?
A Freddie Kruger part XX?" Just knowing this story involves ghosts is enough to heighten my anticipation in the beginning and it sure delivers once the plot starts to unfold.
I was amazed at the subtle ways the movie introduced the ghosts, the emotional crises of the characters and the struggle to reclaim their own lives.
I won't SPOIL the movie for you but the ending kept me and my family arguing for hours about who was whom and what the movie and message ultimately means.If you want to see a true Ghost Story, this movie is for you!.
But it turned out to be some kind of sappy story with some apparitions thrown into the storyline.Now, had the movie left out the ghosts and just dealt with the "demons" that were tormenting the woman (played by Mira Sorvino) it would have come off as a much better movie.
Just sticking to dealing with the theme of a woman tormented by her father's abuse and trying to escape the past by going into solitude would have made for a much nicer story.
And the touch with no electricity in the place worked nicely as well.The movie was slow in getting to the point, and it was slowly building up suspense, but it never really climaxed.
And having sat through it till the very end, I can honestly say that "The Presence" is a ghost movie that will fade into oblivion without leaving any lasting impression.Despite having a relatively small list of actors and actresses, the people in the movie were doing a good enough job.
It was nice to see Sorvino in a movie like this, but at times it felt like she wasn't giving the performance all 100% of her focus.
And Shane West, as the ghost, was doing a good job, especially because he wasn't saying anything, so it was all just body-acting and mimicking.If you are looking for a horror movie, then you are going to be disappointed with "The Presence".
The trailer is misleading, as it makes it look kind of like typical B-movie silliness.
I loved the movie so much, I watched it a second time.
This was scary, but I was still somehow able to watch it--maybe because the point of the movie is not to just scare people, it just happens to be really scary (at least to me) in parts.
If that's what you want, you'll probably think this movie is too slow or boring.
But for those who like movies as an art and a good story, this is a gem.
Mira Sorvino is good as the damaged, vulnerable yet independent woman who has major trust issues and a shaky past.
I am always looking for horror movies that are unique and scare me in a different way.
It really made me think about good and evil and how our connection with it may be similar to the way it was in this film.
This is surely a movie for my collection of horror films..
I was happily surprised to find that this movie, while a ghost story, is also a love story, with a life after death theme.
(Anyone who expected the blood and guts should realize with a PG rating, this movie would not satisfy!) I really enjoyed this movie and thought it was the perfect ghost story!
I also think Mira Sorvino is an excellent actress and her acting skills made the movie very enjoyable to watch.
I also liked the way the movie unfolded, slowly giving us more and more information about the characters so their stories became clear.
I understand why some people gave this movie a low rating due to their expectations, however, if you can leave them behind, I think you will find that it is an enjoyable and captivating 90 minutes of film..
I'd even say it achieves that goal.Sorvino plays it as good as it gets, but the mentioned pace might feel and lead people into disliking the movie.
oh the worst ghost story i have ever seen, probably the worst movie.
I love ghost stories and I probably never saw a bad one until now.
There's a guy later who talks to the red faced ghost staring at the woman to death saying "hey!
The ghost (the guy staring at woman to death) was to be honest a pretty damn funny guy i mean, you know I thought at the end he would take a handkerchief wrap it around his face take out a chainsaw and do this climax with a huge pool of blood but no.
Literally, all he does is stare.I try to say at least one thing good about a film but its not good like at all.
Arriving at a secluded cabin to get over the demons of her past, a woman finds the cabin haunted by the ghosts she's running from and tries to stop their torment and control over her when her boyfriend comes to visit.Quite frankly this is one of the most boring and irritating horror films of all time and ranks as one of the worst all-time.
This is aided by the film's complete lack of anything going on here, which tends to feature one of the characters wandering around the house while a ghost looks on silently and immobile the entire time, not reacting to her being there nor doing anything to put the characters in harm's way.
Dim, still images set the backdrop of the story and it never seem to progress much beyond this pace.Several plot holes and unanswered questions had me questioning the events so much that the story became a lost in the noise.If you have nothing better to do and you need to fall asleep early, or you just like a story that keeps you guessing with questions that in no way, shape or form could be answered, then this is for you.
It's somewhat horrorish and there is a little ghost story, but this film will not scare you.
I've seen better movies of this genre with massively inferior story lines.
It's like it isn't enough that the score seems to be from a whole different movie, because it's still used so poorly.
It is a ghost movie with a difference..
This feels like a film with a lot less money than they must have had, given that the cast includes Justin Kirk and Mira Sorvino.
The camera work is remarkably amateurish, save the rare shot that any film fan can quickly recognize as directly lifted from other movies.
Watch this movie with discerning film fans for a fun point-and-laugh experience..
i also did not understand what the deal is with the birds this is a very strange movie really hard to understand what is going on this is just typical of a woman to go all crazy this was supposed to be a love story but i really don't know it started out crazy at the beginning this movie really does not compare to Hitchcock unless it is supposed to be a more modern way of tricking you in the movie.
Bad. My time felt wasted on this movie no lines during the first half and you have no idea whats going on.
It looked like the movie budget was 7 dollars by film students.
He was warm, supportive and loving toward the woman,even when she was quite literally coming apart at her mental and emotional seams.The freedom to interpret just what the ghost and the man in black represent adds dimension to the film in a way not seen often in the horror genre.
A victim of childhood abuse, she now obsesses on the fact that all men will be the same, the relationship will not work.There is a brief accident wherein the boyfriend almost falls off a cliff, the engagement ring he has for her is temporarily lost.The "staring spirit" in limbo who resides in the house is apparently prey for the evil spirit.Overall, if the characters were more developed this story could have worked, but we do not relate to this odd assembly of characters with no name.Too many cheap plots revolving around God and miracles lately, and the other film I viewed with this was "The Visitation" with Kelly Lynch and a town that sees Jesus.
Lots of characters doesn't necessarily mean it's a good movie and that is where The Presence gets an A+ in my book.The pace of the movie is very slow, it feels like this two hour flick could have been done in 45 minutes.
But for a modern scary movie this does some justice, but there is a lot of improvement and creativity that could have made this film exceptional, but I guess with a limited budget, there is only so much you can do.I give this a 5/10, decent story, mysterious characters, but excruciatingly slow pace..
Then the film is very boring, and nothing happens with Mira Sorvino and Shane West stalking her in silence for maybe twenty minutes in a lonely cabin.
When her fiancé comes to island, the viewer leans that the character of Mira Sorvino is a troubled woman that was sexually abused by her father when she was a child in the cabin.
The rest of the film is interesting, with the fight between good and evil and the appearance of the black angel to save the woman and her fiancé from the fiend.
Be clear on this, if you like your ghost stories high octane, with an unfeasible body count and everything spelled out for you in blood-stained black and white, this film is not for you.
I wanted to see "The Presence" by Tom Provost mainly for two reasons:to see Mira "Mimic" Sorvino and Mount Hood volcano.Unfortunately Mount Hood is only shown in a distant background.Mira Sorvino plays a troubled woman who goes to a cabin near Mount Hood.There is mannequin-like ghost in the cabin with her."The Presence" quickly turns into relationship drama with no horror whatsoever.It seems that Mira is fighting her demons regarding her boyfriend and the mannequin-like ghost desires her.Suddenly bad ghost appears and tries to turn good ghost into evil presence.The good ghost rejects the evil and thus is saved by God or another good spirit."The Presence" deals with the theme of temptation and is quite unique,but the lack of horror is disappointing.Still I'd give this one a generous 6 out of 10..
That final twist that you know is coming from the boat earlier happens just like in every other bad movie right before the end titles.
This is a real surprise, and back when movies were still commonly viewed in theaters, this one would have been called a "sleeper," which means a great film that no one knows about.
Watched this yesterday after reading good reviews on here, what a disappointment it was, started out very slow but did look like it could develop into a good film .
I loved the place it was filmed and the house had a lot of potential to be something that kept me from ever going into a log cabin.
The movie never says who the ghost is.
He just stands there...staring, with a look on his face like he was actually watching this movie itself.
I won't give it away but it involves another ghost....The scariest thing about this movie is the thought of having to crap outside in an outhouse.
WELL ACTED GHOST STORY.
The movie starts out showing us a boring, mostly mute ghost.
The film moves slow...as does the ghost.
or a demon from her past?We soon discover this is more than a simple ghost haunting...The film is done in a way you can feel the tension between the characters, the influence of the ghost, and the frustration of the boyfriend.
It is basically a slow and rather dull ghost story that doesn't make much sense.
So to start I would like to say even though it's a little different it kind of works the film is well done in many ways but also a little silly that being said I think it worked.
I did like there was no talking in the opening few minutes set the tempo and the acting was OK for the most part, it's a different kind of ghost story but still done well..
Was pretty to look at, but that was the only thing positive.The movie is about a woman and a man that are alone in a cabin, whilst being unknowingly being stalked by a ghost.
Also, plot and story are VERY original, and so is directing, making this movie very different from the others of this genre-- which is a good thing for me, as I'm sick and tired of Hollywood clichés.
This movie has no story to it what so ever which is the biggest disappointment.
Some movies are quiet in a good way, this one just plainly sucks.
How it can call itself a horror film stuns me, since you have non - whatsoever empathy for the characters.The only thing that is good about this movie is the Shane Wests (the, I guess, ghost?) make up and acting, but that gets destroyed since he doesn't do or say anything!
I thought this sounded like a pretty good plot. |
tt0425430 | The Messengers | The movie begins in black and white with Mary Rollins (Shirley McQueen) hiding away her two children, teenage daughter Lindsay (Tatiana Maslany) and young boy Michael (Jodelle Ferland) in an old farm house. She tells her son to be a big boy as they enter a bedroom. All this has been in black and white. The door is closed and begins to shake, the mother puts the boy under the bed. He is crying and she tries to hush him up. The door bangs open and an invisible force throws her against the wall. The mysterious shadow leaves, the boy runs into the hall to his sister. She is just as scared and she asks 'Where's mom?' The force throws her over the banister of the stairs, later she is dragged into the basement by her feet, leaving deep nail marks in the floor. The boy runs into the kitchen and hides in a cupboard. However, the thing comes and after a heart stopping moment pulls him out. The screen fades to black.Title credits roll. Now the screen is colour and we see a car driving down the highway. They talk and come into the farm we saw at the beginning. Jess (Kristen Stewart) gets out of the car and goes into the house alone. She looks around and behind her the cupboard opens and closes behind her. She looks in and sees a little wind up tractor way back at the back. She reaches in trying to reach it and it lurches forward and begins to move. She is going back out and hears a noise from the basement and the door is locked when she tries it. She notices some strange marks on the wooden floor (the marks which Lindsay had scratched off). Jess goes upstairs and her dad Roy (Dylan McDermott) talks to her about how much she likes the house.Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) is Jess' mother and sees a watermark on the walls and starts scrubbing it. Later she is flipping the sheets and making waves and the little boy Ben (Evan and Theodore Turner) sees two bloody legs under the sheets. Jess and mom share an odd moment and Jess goes to the basement to put boxes down there when she hears a noise.A drifter called John Burwell (John Corbett) happens to pass by and is hired to work the sunflower fields. Dad will pay him later when the harvest is sold.Jess is continually drawn to the cellar with unsettling results. She sees a childlike ghost figure that leaves her with bruises on her arm landing her in the ER. Her parents have left her alone at home babysitting her brother, and she phones the police terrified because they are being attacked and the house is crumbling down. The policeofficer (Michael Daingerfield) says they will let things be only this once, but that if she ever again phones the police saying that there is a lot of damage and nothing has happened, there will be consequences.The doctor (Anna Hagan) asks the parents if she's had any personal issues that would cause her to want to hurt herself. Mom explains she's struggled a bit with "emotional issues" from the Chicago they left behind. On the car ride home she explains "these things attacked me" but dad wants none of it saying she did it to herself. Jess goes into the house to see a pocket watch open by itself to show a woman's photo inside. Mom and Dad argue about the move to the country and ensuing problems, especially because Roy rejected an offer to buy the farm to some other unkown person with a 15% extra over the price they paid for it, without even telling her. The realty seller Colby Price (William B. Davis) seems weird, but he doesn't seem to have anything to do with the farm mystery afterwards.Jess takes off on her bicycle and meets up with a boy from town. They ride together into town in his pickup and they discuss how she thinks the Rollins didn't just "leave" the town for good, they died. She shares the story of her drunk driving accident that caused little Ben to be hospitalized. Ben hasn't spoken since. The treatment of Ben's condition has added to the financial pressures of the family, but to no avail.Back at the farm mom is having chat with Ben. He points outside toward the barn and she asks "what did you see?" He points again at the barn and she asks what he sees and he makes an ugly face pulling down is eyes with his fingers. The crows come back in flocks and begin to attack drifter John out in the sunflower fields. He is beaten by the crows but survives. Denise puts Ben to bed and hears a creaking sound. The stain in the wall is lifesize now as a body appears in 3-D form.In town Jess goes to the local drug store with her friend Bobby (Dustin Milligan) to watch again the newspaper cutouts. Jess sees a photo of the Rollins family. The man in the photo is the drifter John.Back at the farm, John remembers his bad harvest; has a flashback of himself overwon by the situation, and the bank manager flashing a deed. He heads to the house as Denise is readying to leave the house with Ben. John flashes back to his own wife and child who were about to leave him and he thinks Denise is his wife Mary. She escapes from him hiding behind a locked door. Jess and her friend arrive back from town and call for mom and Ben while walking through the house with an axe. They are chased through the house by John with walls getting marked up along the way. Jess goes down to the cellar and finds Denise and Ben. They all have seen something. John calls for Mary threatening her with a pitchfork demanding that she opens the door.John continues his search through the house for his "family" while Denise, Jess and Ben hide in the cellar. Dad arrives back home and asks Bobby where they are. Upon seeing Jess, Roy takes it in the back with John's pitchfork. John knocks Jess about in the cellar. Random objects begin moving toward a spot on the floor and then disappear into a hole. Jess narrowly avoids the pitchfork. She pushes away drifter John and he falls into a now liquified pit, pulled down by the aparitions of the murdered former family. They swallow up John into the pitch-black mud. When John is killed, they think it's over. The pit inhabitants aren't done yet as they reach for Jess. She is saved by Roy and Denise. The police come to investigate and Roy is taken to the hospital seriously injured but alive nonetheless.Some time afterwards Jess is smiling. The future has Ben speaking, the crops growing and everyone seems happy!However several crows fly around the farm in a flock... | murder, flashback | train | imdb | Anyone looking for a highbrow horror tale here can look elsewhere.Getting back to the story though, and a family with a mysterious past move to a new home in the middle of the country, a home with a chequered history of its own, and it is not long before daughter Jess encounters the secrets of the house...Husband Roy is desperate to make a go of this new life, by making a successful harvest with the fertile soil in the fields next to where they now live, and despite some troubles between mother and daughter it seems that they are going to try putting their problems behind them.The house has other ideas though.The Messengers makes no apology for what it is - an old-fashioned ghost story with a hint of horror and which benefits from a slightly shallow plot to aid with fast story telling and scares.
Yeah, it's not exactly earth shatteringly terrifying but it does a better job of building tension than most of its peers.Its special effects are reasonably decent, and never look too fake bar bar one single occasion in the cellar.The acting too is acceptable and does the job - Kristen Stewart does her best with the material and produces what the role requires.But the fun here is with the overall feel of the movie - it just works as long as you don't try to expect too much from it.The only oddity is 'Cigarette Smoking Man' from X-Files William B Davis making an unnecessary and pointless appearance twice as a real estate broker - a side story which was totally inept and served no purpose and gave the actor all of 20 seconds of screen time.That aside, good movie and worth seeing as long as you don't expect more than it is..
Yet despite all the negative I continued to hear about it, I went and saw it anyways, and I'm glad I did.Many plot points, such as a haunted house in the middle of nowhere, parents not listening to their kids, and ghosts out for revenge are ideas that Hollywood has used and recycled more times than a person can count.
Certain scenes were rather predictable, so I won't claim that the movie really innovates on any of the standard horror elements, but there are plenty of moments that had me jump in my seat, and had the female members of the audience squealing and clutching their boyfriends.Overall I felt at the end of the movie that, while not amazing, it was worthy of my time and money to see with a couple friends on a lazy afternoon..
But even having not seen the majority of the Japanese horror movies that have give rise to the over-abundance of 'ghosts-in-my-house' wave (and, likewise, to their American counterparts), there isn't too much with surprise or shocks in The Messengers.
I'm sure they're self-conscious of the films they're paying homage/ripping off (the one scene involving the crows and their rendezvous with John Corbett's character is like a chummier mash of The Birds and North by Northwest; Shining and Close Encounters references seem a little more than clear to me too), yet they also succumb to having their film be really affect-less.
It's never too stupid though; I didn't have a disliking toward any one character, with the exception being maybe towards the end with Corbett (I don't think I'm spoiling much there), and it's the sort of typical family-moves-into-a-creepy-house story that decides to hit the usual bases without going rapidly wrong on the marks.But there's also the muddle that comes in dealing with the supernatural side of things, amid the average scares of 'what did I hear in the other room, I'll go check'.
There's fair acting from the family (Kristen Stewart of Panic Room fills in the teenage-girl niche, and there's competent work from McDermott and Miller; Colbert is a little creepy, but I guess that's the point; William B.
In the end, the Messengers is nothing new, and won't contribute much at all to the horror genre at large, but I wouldn't throw it in my 'I hate this movie so much' bin either, as it only continues to that non-threatening realm of the kinda-creepy PG-13 haunted house picture..
It sounds like you have seen this film before yet the story still keeps you interested and in some cases even intrigued.A family move from Chicago to an eerie, abandoned farmhouse in North Dakota to start a fresh and to start growing sunflowers on its land, aw.
Then the teenager daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart, Panic Room) begins to sense strange happenings from the moment they move in, something just isn't quite right, her toddler brother, Ben, also begins to notice creaking noises and following shadows and the mother (Penelope Ann Miller) just can't get rid of THAT stain on the wall.
"The Messengers" revolves around a young teenager, Jess (Kristen Stewart), who moves out into rural North Dakota with her dad (Dylan McDermott), her mother (Penelope Ann Miller), and her little brother, to a sunflower farm.
But the increasingly frightening supernatural experiences that only Jess seems to see get more and more violent, and seem to have a relation to something that happened in the house years ago.With some obvious similarities to "The Grudge" (and just about every ghost story you can think of), "The Messengers" is an extremely derivative ghost tale that manages to hold itself up without becoming unbearably watchable.
Full of dark and shadowy rooms, ghost-like figures with ridiculously orchestrated jerky movements (reminiscent of "The Grudge"), mostly useless "jump" scares, and a small child character who can see things others can't, "The Messengers" is clichéd, no doubting that.
I can't say anything too horrible about the acting though.Overall, "The Messengers" is your typical, cliché-ridden modern ghost story, and it borrows so much from other recent films of it's type (which a lot of these films seem to do), that it becomes another one of those "we've seen it all before" horror movies.
After having problems in Chicago, the Solomon family moves to a remote North Dakota farmhouse to start anew, but their attempts at an idyllic farming life is disrupted when their teen daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) and her 3-year-old brother Ben start seeing and being attacked by supernatural beings who won't allow them to live in peace.The Messengers starts off decently although it eventually becomes a generic horror film that's a lot more humorous than frightening.
However, since we have come a long way in terms of style and effects, it's not really that hard to make your movie look nice especially if you are working on a Hollywood film.The acting was atrocious and if this movie had been released in December, I'm sure it would have received several Razzie nominations.
No matter what movie it is you are seeing, the theatre will always be packed by people who have been awaiting the film, like free stuff, thought it'd be something to do, or just got lost.
I will credit the Pang Brothers, (directors of the acclaimed The Eye that I would like to watch more than before to see what they can do without Hollywood interferencesupposedly reshoots on The Messengers were done by someone else, but the brothers retained credit; it's a shame what our studio system does to foreigners especially when it was creative independence which made the films that brings them in and not bottomline interference), for really having a fitting style and for keeping the tired plot line somewhat fresh.
For being only 84 minutes, I almost think it would have worked better even shorter.Besides a very effective opening sequence, featuring the fantastic Jodelle Ferland, (strangely playing a boy), and a great atmospheric credit sequence, the only thing that saves the film from utter garbage is the acting.
Also, Kristen Stewart (Zathura) is brilliant, as she was in Zathura (2005).All in all, a sensationally creepy film with unsettling special effects, a creepy storyline, great acting, and a semi-original horror that's not as cheesy as it looks.Official MPAA rating: PG-13: Mature Thematic Material, Disturbing Violence and TerrorMy MPAA rating: PG-13: Mature Thematic Material, Disturbing Violence and Terror, and for Some LanguageMy Canadian rating: 14A: Violence, Frightening Scenes, Disturbing Content.
Also, all the symbolism (e.g. the meaning of the crows, the meaning of the clock, the meaning of the final crisis and resolution) is ludicrously obvious.Dylan McDermott seems like he wandered off from a Disney family morality play and wound up in a horror movie; Penelope Ann Miller's performance made me feel that it was either going to be revealed she had just become part of the family or is the father's new girlfriend who, for some reason, chose to move in with him into a haunted house on the prairie - there is absolutely no chemistry between her and her husband, which is rationalized later on but, in my opinion, her performance is just too perfect in that area.
Combining all those factors, with a poor story line, just doesn't work for me.Good acting all around, but one scene when the family are driving in the SUV, the actors suddenly look as though they are all lost.
The Messengers' use of lighting, sound, camera angles and clever pacing ensure shocks are there, even if the story does not have the originality of the Pang Brothers' earlier work.Mom and Dad take their children, Jess and Ben, out to an isolated farmhouse where they all plan to make a new start.
There are hints of problems involving the kids, but it's also make-or-break time for Dad, who has left the city and needs to make a success of farming sunflowers.Frantic black-and-white horror sequences before the opening credits show us what happened to the last family.
While still good for some quick jumps, don't expect The Messengers to keep you up at night.The story is the simple one: a family from Chicago moves to a deserted farm in North Dakota.
Perhaps what is most disturbing about this movie is the complete lack of original content- it employs virtually every ghost/horror motif in the book, from the 'special kid' to the 'mysterious stranger', squawking crows, a toy moving by itself, mysterious stains that wont wash away, the creepy basement, the parents who don't buy their teenager's concerns about the 'new house', and on and on...
Otherwise, there's a small smattering of jump scares (which, if you watch as many horror movies as me, you know exactly when to expect them), a really lame plot, lots of scenes that could have led to good things but didn't, and plenty of clichés.
This movie was a mix between the Shining and Amitville Horror...I was so excited to see it; however, I was disappointed about a half hour into the movie...there are a few jump scenes but in trying to make a good horror flick, you want to make the viewer believe in your plot and the messengers was simply lacking in a solid plot...the jump scenes were few and overall, this type of movie has been done before...waste of time and money...if you're bored on a Sunday afternoon and there is absolutely nothing on TV, then i recommend renting this whenever it comes out and then watching it..but don't stretch yourself beyond that...consider yourself warned!.
The whole scary "idea" is never explained, although pictures occasionally flash up showing flashbacks.Overall, i would say, you will NOT get your money's worth if you wanted a good horror film.
The so-called 'creepy' effects are lifted (and laughably modified) from Ju-On/The Grudge, the plot is a mix of The Others, The Shining and Ju-On, and the movie has nothing scary about it; it only had those stupid 'jump' scenes - the telltale sign of a very weak horror film.
I'm very sorry they put the very good-looking McDermott in this movie because I think he is also a great actor, and deserved better than this role!
I laughed...Its just things that pop out with a deformed face, the scariest parts were put into the commercial.i LOVED the previews for different movies before the movie started...and Kristens acting was pretty good....and the little boy...totally adorable!.
The Messengers is a bad,generic and boring ''horror'' movie.The film has got a big problem:it does not scare.The performances and the screenplay are totally stupid.It uses old tricks for scaring and all the supernatural events make laugh.I would not call The Messengers as a bad movie...I would call it an accidental comedy because it's so bad that makes laugh.The only good thing about this movie is that it's short,so this crap will not stay with us for so long.There are a lot of masterpieces of horror genre which count with a low budget(like Subject Two,Lucky or May)which are sadly ignored,while this crap is all a success in the box office.So,I do not recommend this weak and pathetic horror film which is called The Messengers..
OK here goes.this movie sort of reminds me of "The "Grudge"(which i pretty much hated)and Pulse(2006)(which i liked)it starts off very very slow and eventually becomes somewhat interesting.it's not original for the most part,but it does have an added element that "The Grudge" certainly didn't have.there is one scene which is unexpected and sent shivers up my spine.Kristen Stewart plays Jess,who,along with her five year old brother ,begins to see strange occurrences in the family's new home out in the country.it seems they are not alone.of course the parents (Dylan McDermot,Penelope Ann Miller) don't believe her.naturally this creates tension.John Corbett plays a sort of drifter who ends up working in the fields for the family(they grow sunflower seeds).the acting in the movie isn't bad,but it seems everyone is playing their characters in an understated way.Kristen Stewart is pretty decent in her role,but a bit too pouty at times.i liked this movie much more than "The Grudge",but not quite as much as "Pulse".all things considered i give "The Messengers" a 6.5/10.
Thus I decided to give this movie a try and find out how is it.The story is about a family husband (Dylan McDermott), wife (Penelope Ann Miller), daughter (Kristen Stewart) and a 2-3 year old son (Evan Turner) who comes to a small country house away from the city to stay a peaceful life cultivating sunflowers.
The starting seems so good but story continues and makes you feel tired(between there were few day's and nights where nothing happens even if the house is being haunted), a ghost helps a family to take revenge..
There's several attack here which are downright creepy, including the main one which opens the film because it all happens in front of the kid, but moreso later efforts like the attack in the basement when she's supposedly babysitting the brother where the approaching ghost flips around furniture to the point of a haunted house movie as well as a secondary scene in the house when she's all along are lengthy, involved scenes that are incredibly chilling.
The Messengers is rated PG13 so if you're looking for a movie with some genuinely creepy and scary moments but without sex and gore, it's a good choice..
**SPOILERS** Senseless and disjointed horror house movie involving the transplanted, from Chicago, Solomon Family who have for some reason or another gotten into the sunflower seed business in far off North Dakota.Were kept in the dark for almost the entire film to just why Roy Solomon, Dylan McDermott, a life long Chicago resident all of a sudden decided to pack it in and become a farmer when he lost his job in the Windy City.
It's not long that strange things begin to happen at the Solomon Farm with hundreds of attacking and pecking crows descending on the place and driving Roy and his family his wife Denise, Penelope Ann Miller, infant son Ben who for some strange reason has two credits in the movie, Even & Throdore Turner, and especially his troubled teen-age daughter Jesse, Kristen Stewart, crazy.Jesse whom we later find out has her own problems, regarding her baby brother Ben, soon starts to see-like in the film "The Sixth Sense"-dead people all over place to the point where her concerned parents seriously feel that she may need immediate medical attention!
Here's my professional recommendation to the family in this film: Don't move into houses that look like ghosts live in them.
yes the movie did have it's good moments and scares,, one thing that i really did like was the homage to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, perhaps the greatest horror movie of all time.
The plot of the film is about an ominous darkness that invades a seemingly serene sunflower farm in North Dakota, and the Solomon family is torn apart by suspicion, mayhem, and murder.So, you watch the trailer and think it's another PG-13, dumbed down horror movie, right?
The Messengers is a potpourri of a dozen horror movies you have seen before, including The Amityville Horror, The Shining, The Sixth Sense, The Birds, The Grudge, The Others and What Lies Beneath.Not only the jump sequences were taken from those other films, but this movie was full of clichés: Haunted house in the middle of nowhere, family with past problems trying to start over, little kid seeing strange things, rebel and beautiful teenager being attacked, weird animal behavior, strange things in the cellar, cracking doors that open and close themselves, mysterious stranger coming to help, and OF COURSE the twist near the end (because nowadays it seems a movie without a twist is not considered a movie).I have to admit the only reason I watched this movie was Kristen Stewart.
The earlier Pang Bros movies were scary because they had this special sound and it was new and nobody ever saw anything like it.
After some time I was able to watch a horror movie until the end without being bored.
If you like your horror movies watered down and predictable with the same old cheap screen tricks this is the film for you. |
tt0059740 | The Sons of Katie Elder | A steam engine pulls it's cars through a mountainous canyon and on into the Clearwater Station, at Clearwater, Texas. Sheriff Billy Wilson (Paul Fix) and his deputy, Ben Latta (Jeremy Slate), along with Tom Elder (Dean Martin), Bud Elder (Michael Anderson, Jr.), and Matt Elder (Earl Holliman), were all waiting. Tom attempts to get his brothers to bet with him on exactly how close to a spot on the platform the train will stop. They refuse, disgusted that Tom would think of gambling when they were there for a funeral.The only passenger who disembarks is a rough looking character, unknown to any of them. The man asks the sheriff where the town was and the sheriff points down the road. saying, "you can't miss it." Tom, Matt, and Bud get on their horses and ride away, figuring whomever it was they were expecting had decided not to come.At a ranch outside Clearwater, one of the buildings is marked, "Hastings Firearms Manufacturing." Gun shots ring out. Morgan Hastings (James Gregory), the owner of the ranch and the firearms manufacturing business, is sighting in a rifle. A man named Curley (George Kennedy), approaches Hastings. Curley is the man who came in on the train that afternoon.Hastings asks Curley if anyone else got off the train. He was specifically interested in whether John Elder (John Wayne) might have come to town. Curley said he didn't know John Elder, but had heard of him, and figures Elder must be afraid of John Elder and therefore decided to hire him (Curley was a gunfighter). Hastings tells Curley that he may not need to use his gun at all, and may very well be on his way out of town in a few days without having to do anything. Curley didn't care, as long as he got paid. He takes his saddlebags and bedroll and goes to set up quarters in the ranch house.Sheriff Wilson and Ben return to town and walk to their office, passing the church and a horse-drawn hearse being tended to by the local undertaker. The sheriff removes his gun belt, but the deputy keeps his on. The sheriff wants to know why the deputy planned to wear his gun to the funeral, since John Elder didn't get off the train, and there shouldn't be any trouble. The deputy knows that John could still show up, and he's also concerned about the stranger, Curley, who did get off the train. Sheriff Wilson cautions Ben that John Elder isn't wanted for anything around there. Ben reminds the sheriff that just being a gunfighter puts John on the opposite side of the law, just as the sheriff had taught him in the first place.The funeral was for Katie Elder. She was being laid to rest next to her husband, Bass, who'd preceded her in death by about six months. As the ceremony at the gravesite comes to an end, John Elder can be seen observing from high in the nearby rocks.One of the local men approached the Elder brothers and told them that Katie once sold him a blind horse and really suckered him good. He seemed to admire that Katie, a woman, had fooled him like that. A young woman with a baby in her arms stepped up next and told the brothers that the baby's name was Katie, named after their mother.The parson spoke to the three brothers, asking them if one of them was missing. They confirmed that the oldest brother, John, was not there. The parson was upset that he couldn't have delivered better words about Katie, even though the brothers told him he had delivered a very good eulogy. He told them it wasn't good enough, that she deserved much more, but then he didn't expect the brothers to understand that.After everyone had left the gravesite, the undertaker motioned to four boys and they prepared to lower the coffin into the ground. After they'd gone, John Elder came to the grave and paused to reflect and pay his respects. He's observed from afar by Curley.As John stands there, holding his hat, he hears a noise behind him. He whirls around and at the same time, flings his hat and draws his gun. The hat strikes Sheriff Billy in the chest and John aims his pistol at Billy. John pauses, acknowledging the sheriff, then admonishes him for coming up behind him quietly like that. Billy asks John why he came into town the back way. John tells him that he wanted to avoid any trouble, and there's always somebody looking for trouble.The sheriff asked John how long he planned to be around. John wonders if there's some reason he should be in a hurry to move on. Billy tells John there are several reasons why he shouldn't stick around: 1) you don't belong here anymore, 2) there's another man new to town, a hired gun, and 3) my deputy is very conscientious about his job. John suggests that Billy send Ben over to run that new guy out of town, but Billy has to admit that he doesn't know the man, much less if he is wanted for anything.John tells the sheriff that he just wanted to see his mother buried and to visit his brothers, then he'd leave. The sheriff is fine with that, and points the direction that John should go to see his brothers. John points the opposite direction and says, "but the ranch is over there," and Billy tells him that the family doesn't live on the old ranch anymore, that the ranch now belongs to Morgan Hastings.Billy tells John that his pa was killed about six months ago, and he hasn't been able to find out who did it. Sensing that John probably wants to find out who did it, Billy cautions John not to do anything foolish, but when John says, "you've been trying real hard not to tell me something, Billy, what is it," Billy just turns and walks away.Curley rushes to see Hastings and tell him that John Elder was there afterall. Hastings tells Curley that if anything happens, such as a gunfight, that Curley should make it look like self-defense. He tells Curley to do nothing, unless and until he tells him to. Hastings son, Dave (Dennis Hopper), witnesses the conversation and becomes very upset, realizing that the Elder boys are likely to start asking questions about how the Hastings came into ownership of the ranch.John rides out to the Lupin place, where his mother was living when she died and where his brothers are staying. At the ranch house, Bud, who was very young when John left, is asking Tom and Matt if John is as fast as everyone says he is. Tom tells him that when John was younger, he was so fast, that it was scary. Tom realizes that Bud is thinking he'd like to be like his oldest brother, so he advises Bud to consider some other line of work, such as gambling, which is much safer than gun fighting. Just as Bud was wishing John had come for the funeral, Matt looks out the window and says, "he's here," and they go outside to meet him.The brothers all greet one another jovially. John learns that Bud is supposed to return for his second year of college, something Katie had always very much wanted him to do. John asked how their mother died. Bud tells him that Doctor Isdell told them that she just wore herself out, had a stroke, and lost the ability to talk. That's when the preacher wrote the letters to John.Matt said he came back to see Katie about three years ago. Tom accused Matt of hitting her up for money to put into his hardware business. Matt said at least he came back to see her, which is more than Tom or John did.Bud asks John if it's true what they say about him. He specifically wanted to know how many men John had killed. John was saved from having to answer by the sounds of a wagon coming up to the house. It was Mary Gordon (Martha Hyer), bringing a picnic basket of food for the brothers. Mary operated the boarding house in town. She tells John that she was the skinny little kid who used to live next door to the Mastersons. She tells the brothers that Katie asked her to look in on them, if they bothered to come to the funeral.Mary told the brothers that their mother always talked about how proud she was of all of them, how they sent her money regularly, and how they were helping put Bud through college. Mary observed that their mother thus lied about them all the time. She said Katie blamed Texas for taking her older three boys away from her, but she wasn't going to let Bud fall prey. She said she'd see Bud through college, or die. She died.There was a rocking chair in the house that Mary said was given to Katie by her husband, Bass, and she wouldn't have swapped it for a diamond ring. Bass had his faults, but Katie loved him dearly. John thanks Mary for being so nice to their mother, but Mary responded, much like the parson did, by criticizing the brothers for not treating Katie better. She then stormed out of the house. When John chased her down and started to say something, she looks at him somewhat in disgust and said, "I see you're still wearing that gun," then she flips the reins and drives off.Bud tells his brothers that he didn't want to go to college, but it was that or jail. He explained that he was accused of stealing a horse, when all he did was go for a ride on it. His mother wanted him to go to college, so she wouldn't back him up on his claim of innocence about the horse. The college he was sent to was the Colorado School of Mines in Colorado Springs.John began wondering why Katie would sell 1,200 acres of the best land in the area, after Bass died. Regardless of the reason, Matt figures there must be money in the bank from the sale of the ranch, so he wants to go check that out and divide the money four ways. That leads to a discussion about Bud going back to college, which he says he's not going. He plans to ride with John. John says, "there's one little thing you're forgetting, you ain't been invited." Tom said he'd take Bud with him, but he didn't know where he was going, just that it wouldn't be anyplace he'd already been.As the brothers prepare to go to the bank, John pauses, while looking at his mother's rocking chair, then hangs his gun belt on the coat hook, leaving it behind. In town, John fires off orders to his brothers, sending them to the funeral parlor, the general store and the doctor's office to see if there are any debts that needed to be settled for Katie.Tom and Bud go first to see Mr. Peevey (Percy Helton) at the general store. Katie owed $6.20 to Mr. Peevey. Tom offers to settle things by cutting a deck of cards, with the high card winning, and the wager being double or nothing. Peevey just laughs, then walks over to the bottom of a staircase and calls out to his mother. He wants to know how much they owed Katie Elder for some dresses and guitar lessons she'd provided. The total came to $11, so he paid Tom $4.80. Tom is curious as to why his mother would need guitar lessons, so Peevey explains that he thought his mother could play guitar in the saloon and make some extra money.John goes to see the undertaker, Henry Hyselman (John Doucette), who tells him that Katie pre-paid her funeral by giving him a gray horse. John asked if that was the same gray horse that Bud stole. Hyselman laughed and admitted that he and Katie rigged that whole matter up to scare Bud into going to college. John then asked Henry if he'd buried their father. Henry said yes. He then told John about the time Thad challenged Bass to a duel. Bass had the choice of weapons, so he chose Roman candles, since it was the 4th of July. No one got hurt, although one of the fireballs went down Bass' pants and he had to sit down in the watering trough. John and Henry had a good laugh about that.John then asked how Bass died. Henry became very uncomfortable, but admitted that it was obvious Bass had been shot in the back. He didn't have any idea who did it, or if anyone tried to find out.Hastings is standing inside his gun business, there in town, across from Hyselman's business, with Curley and another of his men, wondering what John was doing talking to Hyselman for so long. Curley asks Hastings if he wants him to go ask. Hastings thinks that's a good idea, but insists that Curley do nothing more than talk.John reunites with his brothers and they walk over to see Mr. Vennar (James Westerfield), the banker. Mr. Vennar isn't any more cordial to the brothers than most anyone else in town. He said there wasn't even $1 left in Katie's bank account. He said she scraped together what she needed through doing sewing and giving guitar lessons. He told the brothers that if they bothered to look in her closet, they'd find one blue dress for winter and one gray dress for summer. That's all she had for clothes. The Lupin place didn't belong to her either. The bank allowed her and Bud to live there so they'd have a roof over their heads. Katie insisted on paying rent, nevertheless.Mr. Vennar dismisses the brothers, but not before Matt asks about the money for sale of the Elder's ranch. Vennar says he didn't know anything about the sale of the ranch, and any records that may have existed were destroyed in a recent fire. He added that he couldn't remember every transaction. As John leaves, he pauses, looks back at Vennar and says, "Every transaction, or just this one?" and then he turns and leaves.Curley walks over to see Mr. Hyselman, demanding to know what he and John Elder were talking about. Hyselman tells him it's none of his business. Curley said that Mr. Hastings wanted to know. Hyselman said he didn't care what Mr. Hastings wanted and tells Curley to leave. Curley grabs Hyselman and forces his head into a large vat of water. John comes walking through the entrance just about then, sees what's happening, looks around, then grabs an ax handle that is sitting nearby. He yells "hey!" to Curley, and when Curley looks up, John swings the ax handle flush across Curley's face, knocking him down and out.Hyselman catches his breath and tells John that he thinks the bad guy works for Morgan Hastings, and was trying to find out what they'd been talking about. He further explains how Hastings is bent upon trying to take over the entire county, and had already acquired the Elder's old place. John hands Curley's pistol to Hyselman, then offers money to Henry to look after Katie's grave. Henry refuses the money, telling John it would be his pleasure to do it. John thanks him and, after once last glance at the unconscious Curley, he leaves.John tells his brothers that he wants to go out and look at the old home place, telling them he's "homesick." As they ride up on a ridge overlooking the ranch, Matt recalls the times they used to play in the barn. Bud claimed to remember Tom falling out of the loft and breaking his leg. Tom told Bud he wasn't even born yet when that happened, and said he didn't fall, that someone pushed him. He said someone was always pushing him out of that loft. John said, "that's because you bounced so good. Everybody in the family kept bragging about how good you bounced."They ride on down to the house and John knocks on the door. Dave Hastings answers and he's very agitated. He tells John that they are on private property, that his father isn't there, and they should just leave. Deputy Ben Latta comes riding up right then and asks Dave if there's trouble. Dave tells the deputy that he ordered the Elders to leave and they were refusing. Ben is already on edge, having learned of how John roughed up Curley in town, and he says he won't stand for any more trouble.Latta tells the Elders to leave, or be arrested. When John says they wouldn't take too kindly to being arrested, Latta draws his gun. Tom, sitting on his horse next to Latta, is able to jump over and knock the deputy off his horse. John grabs the deputy's gun. Tom jumps up and says, "see, now we ain't arrested." Latta tells them they are in trouble for resisting arrest. John tells him they are all going back into town with him, to straighten things out, but they aren't going in looking guilty. He orders Latta to get on his horse and looks back at Dave and tells him that they'll be back.They all ride into town, Latta in the lead, the brothers riding side-by-side behind him. They explain what happened to Sheriff Wilson and the sheriff tells Latta that next time, he should wait until he's told to go after somebody before he goes riding off. Sheriff Wilson tells the Elders to take off, but John and Tom follow him into his office, wanting to talk to him.John and Tom ask Billy questions about their father and the ranch. Billy says that Hastings told him Bass lost the ranch to him while gambling. There were six witnesses to the event. Billy figures Bass must have been pretty drunk to lose his ranch in a card game. When they find out Bass was shot the same night that he lost the ranch, John says, "Well, now wouldn't you say that was a little coincidental, Billy?" Billy just says nothing could be proven. They offer to help Billy figure out who shot Bass, but Billy wants them to let it go, and to stop digging around because it will just result in trouble.John decides they should go see Hastings next. On the way, he sees Mary getting some things out of a box on her wagon. He approaches her and tells her that the brothers would like her to have any of Katie's things that she thinks she'd like to have, such as the rocking chair. Mary thanks him and says she'd like that very much. John tells her he'd bring them by. Tom notices a mutual attraction between John and Mary and accuses John of forcing himself on Mary.John and Tom go into Hasting's gun shop, where Hastings is showing off a couple of dueling pistols to Bondie Adams (Rodolfo Acosta) and Curley. Strangely enough, there are no marks on Curley's face, so apparently, he was a fast healer.Hastings expresses condolences to John and Tom about their mother, and tells them that after Bass died, he offered to pay Katie for the ranch, out of a sense of guilt. He admits that he needed the ranch for it's water supply, to power a mill and help the town grow. He believed the town could become important. John asks to see the paper that transferred the ranch. Hastings shows it to him. He then asks if the six witnesses who signed the transfer all worked for Hastings. Hastings said that they did. John then asks what the game was that he and Bass were playing when they bet on the ranch. Hastings says it was blackjack. John looks at Tom and recalls that Bass used to say that he'd shoot any of his kids he caught playing blackjack, and that he thought it was a woman's game.Tom asks Hastings who he thinks the low down dirty rat was that shot their pa. When Hastings says, "why ask me?" John says, "well, we aim to find out," and he and Tom leave. Outside, Tom reminds John that they started playing blackjack when they were 3 or 4 years old. John says, "yeah, we know that, but Hastings doesn't."Back at the ranch, the brothers sort through Katie's belongings, burning papers that aren't of use anymore. John takes a worn bible from the closet and reads the following entries:
"Katie Dwayne; born Ohio, no date; married Bass Elder, September 8, 1850, Clearwater, Texas."John says they better keep that bible. Tom jumps up and asks why. He thinks they should raffle it, and maybe give half the money to the parson.Matt thinks they should get a nice stone for their mother's grave. They then argue about what to get, perhaps a marble statuette, say of an angel, or a lamb. Then Tom suggests it be a marble horse and the others are aghast. John asks what's become of all of them. He tells them that their mother just wanted one of them to amount to something, and they still had a chance to do that, with Bud and college.Bud again argues that he doesn't want to be the monument to his mother. He wants to be a gunfighter, like John, and for them to be famous like the Dalton brothers. John tells him the Dalton brothers were dead, that they were hung. Bud just says, "oh."John finally proclaims, "we keep the book!"John rides into town, after dark, carrying the rocking chair and the picnic basket that Mary had brought out earlier. He takes it into the boarding house, says hello to Mary, and places the rocker in front of the fireplace. He also hands her Katie's bible. She doesn't feel right taking the family bible, but he insists, so she tells him he can have it back whenever he wants it.Mary goes to a drawer and takes out a bundle of letters that she hands to John. They were the letters he'd written to Katie long ago. She had let Mary read them. Mary said she had noticed from the letters how John changed over time, even though Katie didn't.Mary asks John if he's trying to find out who killed his father. He says yes, that whomever shot him most likely also stole the ranch, so it's the least he could do for his mother. Mary tells him that killing Bass' murderer would just be another bad example for Bud, showing him what a big tough guy his big brother is, and how shooting people is worthy of worship. She tells John that Katie just wanted Bud to go to college and make the Elder name stand for something. John gets upset and throws the letters into the fireplace. He starts to walk out, but turns back when she thanks him again for the rocking chair and bible. He asks Mary why Katie wouldn't want him to find Bass' killer. She tells him because it would result in more killing, and Katie hated killing.Tom and Bud go into the bar and Tom asks Bud for some money to buy drinks. Bud doesn't have any money and suggests that Tom use his own money. Tom is insulted, saying that their father would come out of his grave if Tom used his own money to buy a drink. Nevertheless, he buys them each one shot of whiskey, then sets out to demonstrate to Bud how to go about avoiding paying for any more drinks. He puts on a black eye patch and pretends to remove one of his eyes, revealing a glass eye in the palm of his hand. He says it's worth $22. He calls out to the bar patrons that he's conducting a raffle for the glass eye. The bartender tells Tom that if he wants a drink that bad, he'd give him one, but Tom refuses and continues with the raffle.Tom sells $10 worth of chances on the glass eye, then puts 9 white chips and 1 blue chip in a hat. Each man who bought chances draws out a chip. Jeb Ross (Strother Martin) bought two chances, so on his second draw, he comes up with the blue chip and wins the eye. Tom immediately offers to buy the eye back from Jeb, for $3, which would give Ross a profit of $2. Ross says no, so Tom says he needs the eye in order to get married, because his girl doesn't like his eye patch. Ross considers, and after the rest of the men encourage him to return the eye, he asks Tom for $5. Tom says, "split the difference and I'll buy you a drink." Jeb agrees and it's a deal.When Tom puts the glass eye back in it's little carrying case, Ross asks him why he doesn't put it back in his skull. Tom lifts the eye patch and says, "it'd be a little crowded in there," as he moves both of his eyes back and forth. Everyone roars with laughter at the joke.Curley is also in the saloon, playing cards. He decides to confront Tom, telling him he didn't think his little trick was funny, then calling Tom a liar and a cheat, just like his old man. Tom steps back and assumes a position for drawing his gun. Bud jumps in and calls Curley a liar for the things he said about Bass. Curley decides Bud's words are fighting words and orders someone to give Bud a gun. Bondie Adams offers his gun, sliding it along the bar towards Bud. Before Bud can grab the gun, Tom grabs him in a bear hug. Right then, John enters the bar and Bud tells him, "this guy just called pa a liar and a drunk." Bud, suddenly feeling even more emboldened, then asks Curley if the invitation to draw goes for Johnny Elder as well.John tells Tom to get Bud out of the bar. Bud refuses to go until Curley pays for what he said. John looks at Bud and pauses, then tells Bud that their father really was a liar and a drunk, upon which he grabs Bud and pushes him sharply towards the door and tells Tom to keep him out. John eyes the pistol on the bar and Curley starts giggling. Sheriff Wilson then appears on the scene, carrying a shotgun. He points it at Curley and tells John to get out. John leaves. When Curley and his co-horts begin to walk out, the sheriff tells them to stay and finish their game.The next morning at breakfast, Bud throws a fit, as he's upset about the way Curley talked about their father, and he thinks big brother John slinked away from the fight like a low-life skunk. John tells him to shut up. When Bud tells John that he should have let him fight Curley, John tells him that Curley would have killed him before his hand got halfway to that gun. John tells Bud that Katie wanted him to go to college and that's what he's going to do. Bud acknowledges that his big brother might be able to force him to go, but he couldn't make him learn anything.Bud rushes to a cabinet and extracts a pistol, telling his brothers that he was going after Curley and asking if any of them were coming with him. John grabs the pistol away from Bud, then backhands him across the face. When Bud tries to throw a punch back at him, John takes the punch against his hand and flings Bud back across the room. He then tosses the pistol onto the table, accidentally knocking a cup of coffee over into Tom's lap. Tom jumps up and punches John. John hits him back, knocking him towards Matt. Matt sort of pushes Tom, who then turns and punches Matt. Matt then hits Tom. After that, there are many more punches delivered and received among all the brothers, until John gets knocked through the front door and raises up to see a man in a wagon sitting there.The man and John exchange "howdys," then the man says he's looking for Kate Elder. When he learns that Kate had died, he expresses his condolences, then explains how she wrote to him about a month ago. He produces the letter, addressed to Mr. Charlie Bob Striker (Rhys Williams), Pecos, TX. In the letter, Kate offers to purchase between 100-200 horses from Mr. Striker, if he's willing to sell them to her on credit and allow her time to resell them so she could pay him what's owed.Charlie figures there will be no deal now, since Katie had passed, and he is all set to leave when John tells him that he'd be interested in taking the 200 horses. He said he'd run them up to Colorado and sell them to the miners, but he'd need to also do it on credit. He offers Striker half the profits for trusting him. Striker asks the other brothers if they are going to be in on it. Tom and Matt say ok, as long as the profits go towards Bud's college. Bud hesitates, complaining that John almost broke his jaw. John says, "I was trying awful hard too, but that's what it seems to take with some people." After Tom nudges Bud, he agrees to go along.Striker says that as long as he was going to do a fool thing for their mother, he would go ahead and do it for them. He heads off for his ranch down near Pecos to wait for them. Ben Latta comes riding into town and stops to speak with Morgan Hastings. They go over to see Sheriff Wilson, who's at the jail playing chess with Judge Harry Evers (Sheldon Allman). He's lost eight games in a row to Harry. Ben thrusts a wanted poster at Billy. On the poster is a reproduction of Tom Elder, and he's wanted for murder. Ben tells him that Hastings put him on the trail of investigating Tom, and that's how he came upon the poster.After Judge Evers explains to Ben that the wanted poster doesn't mean Tom is guilty, just that's he's wanted, Billy cautions Ben that he's operating out of pure hate in his pursuit of the Elder brothers, and that's why they took Ben's gun from him the first time. Ben walks over to the gun rack and gets a rifle, then some bullets. He tells Billy he's going after Tom. Billy criticizes Ben for being so ready to get tough with Tom, advising him that it would be better to go out there as though he's reluctant to arrest Tom. Seeing that Ben can't be reasoned with, Billy decides he'll go out to the ranch on his own.Ben and Hastings can't believe Billy is willing to go by himself and Hastings offers the services of Curley. Billy asks Hastings what it is he's trying to keep the Elders from finding out about. Hastings responds, "just trying to help."Hastings beats Billy out to the ranch and lies in wait behind a tree on a hillside. When Billy rides up to the ranch house, Hastings shoots him in the back with a rifle. Billy's horse trots back to town, where Judge Evers sees him and tells Ben. Ben puts together a posse and they ride out to the ranch and find Billy still breathing, but barely alive. Two men are assigned to take Billy to the doctor. The rest of the posse head out to find the Elders.The Elder brothers have gone to Pecos and gathered the 200 horses. They are just starting out on the long drive to Colorado, pausing at the river to spend the night. John compliments Bud on his horse wrangling during the day and asked him where he learned to do that. Bud just says, "not in college!" Another argument about his going to college ensues and John complains to his other two brothers that he doesn't know what to do about Bud's continuing sassiness. Tom says to Bud, "ain't you go no respect for your elders?" Bud says, "ha, ha, I've heart that before." When he's told that Katie wouldn't have stood for his back talk, Bud asks which of them thought they were able to stand in for their mom and put him in his place.John, Tom and Matt then grab Bud and fling him into the river. Tom and Matt jump in too and douse him a couple of more times. When John tells them all that he thought he'd taught them better than to jump in the river with their clothes on, they grab him and pull him in.The next morning, Tom spots the posse on a nearby ridge. When he asks John what they should do, John says they hadn't done anything wrong, so not to act like they had. They mount up and prepare to resume the drive, when Bondie Adams raises his rifle and shoots, spooking Bud's horse who bucks and knocks Bud out of the saddle. Ben yells at Bondie for disobeying orders, but the posse then rides on down to confront the Elders.John asks Ben what's going on. Ben infers they were stealing horses. John tells him they acquired the horses legally and could prove it, although he didn't expect them to believe him. He said Billy would believe him. That's when Ben accused them of shooting Billy when he'd tried to bring Tom in, and he shows them the wanted poster. John glances at Tom, not understanding, but then tells Ben that it doesn't make sense that they'd be on the run with Tom, shoot Billy, stop to pick up 200 horses, then herd the horses back through Clearwater. Ben just tells them to throw their guns on the ground. John tells his brothers to comply, that more killings won't prove anything.The brothers are worried about their horses, but Ben doesn't seem to care about that, ordering his posse members to kill the Elders if they try to escape. In jail, Tom explains that some bartender in New Orleans got upset when he pulled his fake eye trick and started shooting at him, so he had to shoot back. He didn't think he'd get a fair trial, so he ran.Outside the jail, the men of the town had gathered and were talking about a lynch party for the Elders. Mary comes to see them, bringing food. John asks her about Billy, but she doesn't know his condition. When John suggests that she too thinks they shot Billy, she says she doesn't know what to think. She just wishes they'd gone away right after the funeral. Ben comes up and tells Mary to go home. He also says that Billy's dead. Matt asks if Billy said anything about who shot him. Ben says he wasn't able to say that the brothers didn't shoot him.Mary lashes out at Ben, telling him he needs to get the U.S. Marshall, or take the Elders to Laredo, because they won't get a chance to make their case there in Clearwater. Ben tells her to quit telling him how to do his job. It appears that Ben would just as soon let the towns people string up the brothers.Tom produces a knife he had hidden away and tells his brothers that come breakfast time in the morning, they'll get the key.Judge Evers confirms Mary's opinion, telling Ben that they wouldn't be able to find a jury capable of providing a fair trial for the Elders. Ben asks Charlie Biller (John Qualen), an older deputy, if they have enough ammunition to see them through. Charlie says no, that their guns won't stop that mob anyway. He complains to the judge that Billy could have dispersed that mob, and without using a gun. He doesn't think Ben amounts to a patch on Billy's shirt. He tells Ben he needs to get the Elders out of town, or pretty soon he'll be shooting bullets at the people who used to be his friends. Ben thinks about it and tells the judge they'll move the Elders to Laredo early the next morning.During the night, there seems to be some activity going on, as though Ben was going to open the cell door, so Bud wakes Tom, but no one comes. Tom gets his knife out and tells Bud to call out and tell the deputies that he's sick. John kicks the knife out of Tom's hand, telling him they were going to face the charges. He tells Tom that they landed in jail because he chose to run in New Orleans, but not now. Even if they all get killed, they aren't running, and that's a win for Katie. He throws the knife out the window.The deputies come to take the Elders to Laredo. The first stop is J. Plummer Blacksmith shop, where they have shackles put on. Bud refuses to be shackled to John, so Matt angrily shoves Bud out of the way and steps up to be shackled to John. The judge deputizes the additional men who will be transporting the Elders.In a canyon outside Clearwater, Morgan and Dave Hastings, Curley, and Bondie Adams are waiting in ambush. The three wagon drivers carrying the Elders and the deputies are part of the ambush plan, which is to kill everyone and blame the Elders. Ned, the driver of the wagon carrying the brothers, stops on a river crossing bridge, claiming it was to rest the horses. John senses something's up, and taps Matt on the shoulder, a signal to get ready. He leans forward as Ned stands up and shouts something, then pushes Ned out of the wagon while simultaneously grabbing the pistol from his holster. He shouts at his brothers to jump. John and Matt go off one side of the bridge and Tom and Bud go off the other.Hastings and his men start shooting. The man riding with Ben draws his gun and orders Ben to drop his rifle. John shoots back, but tells his brothers that he can't hold them off with one gun. Tom asks him if he can provide cover long enough for he and Bud to run back to Ben's wagon and get more guns. John says, "three shots worth." Tom and Bud get in the river and swim under water a short distance and get to the wagon. Ben had been taken off to the side by his captor, near some trees. Tom grabs a rifle and sees Ben and the other man. He shoots and hits the man, wounding him, and although he's still able to hold his pistol on Ben, he decides he'd better run for it.John yells at Tom to use the horses on the wagon for cover in getting back over to him and Matt. They make the short run to the bridge, then jump in the river with several rifles and boxes of ammo, and make their way over to John and Matt. Seeing all that, Hastings turns to Curley and says, "all right, Curley, this is what you were hired for. I don't want one of them lizards to get out of here alive." Bondie goes with Curley as they ride down to where the other men are, near the river. One man tells Curley that there's dynamite in his wagon.Things get real quiet while Curley and another man configure a bunch of dynamite sticks into a bomb. The Elders decide to fall back a bit, to the other side of the bridge, but before they can, Curley yells go and six of the men charge, shooting at the Elders while Curley lights the fuse and tosses the bomb under the bridge, then they all fall back. Things get quiet again and John hears the sizzling of the fuse. When he sees the bomb, he yells, "look out!" as he dives into the water. The dynamite goes off, causing the bridge to collapse.When John struggles up out of the water, he finds Matt on his back with a large splinter of timber in his stomach. Matt tries to say something about a wish that he has, but he dies before he can say it. Curley and his gang all start shooting again. Ben is nearby, but helpless to do anything. John grabs two pistols and furiously empties them at the bad guys, but doesn't hit anybody. Then he grabs a rifle and shoots some more. He finally calms down a bit and waits for Curley to stick his face out from behind the tree he was hiding behind, then shoots him in the head.After seeing Curley go down, another man breaks from behind his tree and runs. John cuts him down too. Bud is hit in the upper left chest and freaks out. Tom tends to him while John shoots his shackle to release him from Matt. Ben comes out of hiding and calls out to the Elders to throw him a gun and he'd help them. Hastings calls Ben a "stupid fool" and prepares to shoot him, but Dave grabs his arm and pulls his gun down. Hastings knocks Ben down and re-aims at Ben. As Ben leaps for the pistol that John flings to him, his body is violently jerked backwards by the force of the bullet from Hasting's rifle.When the remaining men see Hastings turning to leave, they all decide it's time to go as well. John and Tom shoot at them as they leave, but don't hit anybody. Tom wants to run, but John tells him that Bud needs a doctor and he's using the one wagon to take him to Clearwater. John drives the buckboard into Clearwater at full speed, going right to the blacksmith's shop. He tells Tom to get Bud in the barn, while he provides cover. One man across the street is about to start shooting, but the judge stops him.Will, the blacksmith, tells his son, who is there working with him, to get out of there, but John tells the boy to go get Dr. Isdell and be quick about it. The boy goes for the doctor while John orders the blacksmith to take off their leg irons. One man stops the boy, but Judge Evers tells him to let him go. Evers then approaches the blacksmith's shop and John fires off a shot, telling him to stop. Evers tells John to send out Will and they'll let the doctor come through. John says it will have to be the other way around.John explains what happened at the bridge outside town, and also quickly relates the brothers' alibi for the time when Billy was shot and killed. He tells Evers to send for the U.S. Marshall in Laredo and they'd give themselves up to him. Evers sends Dr. Isdell into the barn. Tom releases the blacksmith. Evers orders all the men gathered around to break it up and go home, or they'd have to answer to the U.S. Marshall.Dr. Isdell does what he can for Bud, suggesting to John and Tom that they get the boy over to the boarding house as soon as possible. John then opens the door so the doctor can leave. Tom assures John that Bud will pull through and they'll see to it that he gets raised right.Hastings and his son are anxiously waiting over in the gun shop. Dave is worried that one of the deputies will tell the U.S. Marshall what happened. Morgan doesn't think so. He gets upset at his son's lighting up a cigarette in the shop, where's there's gunpowder, and forcibly smashes the cigarette against his son's mouth. Dave goes outside to smoke and pout. Tom sees him and calls to John. Tom wants to go get Dave, ask him some questions. John says no, that if Tom steps outside, he'd be killed. John then goes to tend to Bud.Tom sets down his rifle and takes a pistol, climbs into the loft, and goes out a window. On the street, he takes a horse to provide cover as he crosses the road. He manages to avoid detection by several men he passes and makes his way over to the gun shop. He comes up behind Dave and puts his gun in his back, ordering him to walk backwards. Morgan sees Dave's strange movement through the window and realizes something's amiss. He goes to the side door and sees Tom pointing his gun at Dave. Morgan breaks a pane of glass in the door with his pistol and fires, hitting Tom in the middle of his back. Tom is wounded, but returns fire and is able to keep going, ordering Dave to move. Morgan follows and more shots are exchanged, but Morgan decides to give up the chase as Tom nears the blacksmith shop and the towns people start gathering again, attracted by the sounds of gunfire.Tom pushes Dave into the barn and says to John, "here's a present for ya, now get your answers." John proceeds to interrogate Dave, asking who it was that ambushed them outside of town. When Dave says he didn't know, John hits him twice, then starts choking him. Morgan appears at another doorway and witnesses what's going on. He again breaks a pane of glass and fires off a shot, but he hits his son, as John had spun Dave, putting him between him and the door.As Dave stumbles forward, telling his father that he didn't tell them anything, John quickly grabs his rifle. Morgan starts to withdraw, only Judge Evers shows up and draws down on Hastings, ordering him to drop his gun. Hastings quickly tries to explain that the Elders shot at him, and had his son in there. As Evers opens the door to the barn, Hastings runs off.Before he dies, Dave tells John that his father killed Ben, that Bass Elder found out he was being cheated, so Hastings killed him too, and that Billy kept getting closer to the truth, so he had to go as well. Judge Evers hears all of it, then orders John to give up his gun, telling John that they'd take care of Hastings. John says, "I don't want any trouble with you, Harry." Tom says, "I wouldn't argue with him," just before he topples over face first, unconscious.Harry tries once more to stop John, but he tells Harry that he has to do this for himself and, as he walks out, tells Harry to go get Dr. Isdell for Tom.John marches directly over towards the gun shop, but pauses when the lights start to dim. He sneaks up and kicks the front door open. Hastings fires off some shots at him. John dives into the store and takes cover near some barrels of gunpowder. They exchange more shots, but realizing they were in a bit of a standoff, John decides to position a smaller container of explosive out in the middle of the floor, then he dives out the side door and runs back around to the front. While standing in the street, he fires a shot into that container, causing it to explode. The entire store then blows up.John turns and hands his gun to Judge Evers, then slowly walks towards the blacksmith shop. Mary calls out to him and he turns and walks to her. She tells him that Bud is in the boarding house. She says doc told her that Bud would require lots of care. John tells her he'll get it. He asks about Tom. She says the doctor was with him now, but that Tom said it would take more than one bullet to kill him. As John follows Mary to go see Bud, he pushes against Katie's rocking chair, putting it in motion.The end. | cult, murder, violence | train | imdb | Katie Elder bore four sons
The day she was buried they all return to the Texas town of Clearwater to pay their last respects
John (John Wayne) is the oldest, the toughest, the gunfighter
Texas, its bigness and its violence echoes in his empty soul
Tom (Dean Martin) is a different breed of hombre
He is good with a deck of cards and good with a gunwhen he has to be
Matt (Earl Holliman) is the quiet one
Nobody ever called him yellowtwice
Bud (Michael Anderson, Jr.) is the youngest, but he is the rebel one...At the funeral are Sheriff Billy Wilson (Paul Fix) and his grim young deputy, Ben Latta (Jeremy Slate) who's real conscientious about his job
Also at the burial, in addition to many townspeople, is the young Mary Gordon (Martha Hyer), the woman who tries the impossible
Mary visits the four brothers, brings them food, and is sardonic about their desertion of their mother
Only Bud, who has been going to college, shows a possibility of becoming a fine, respecting young man
As the brothers investigate into the past and present circumstances of their mother's life, they find the old place is no longer hers and that she was penniless
John discovers that his father supposedly gambled away the ranch when he was pretty drunk and that on the same night he was shot in the back
The only witnesses are Morgan Hastings (James Gregory) and his son Dave (Dennis Hopper)
The sheriff warns the Elders to stop digging around and to stay out of trouble
Realizing that the only tribute to Ma Elder would be for Bud to finish college, the brothers pledge themselves to that cause
Yet they feel the loss of the ranch was under peculiar circumstances, they decide to find out the truth
Henry Hathaway was one of the great versatile directors whose Westerns have been as variable in quality as his other films
Hathaway's strong points were atmosphere, character and authentic locations
In "The Sons of Katie Elder" he took particular care with locations, proud of the fact that he is one of the few directors who handle their own second-unit work, and when this element combines successfully with the other two the result can be impressive indeed.
Katie's four sons are played by John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, and Michael Anderson, Jr. and three's a certain amount of hostility directed towards them from some quarters.
Still the other three Elder boys want Anderson to aim higher than that.Elmer Bernstein's musical score is one of the best that is featured in a John Wayne film.
Bernstein and the Duke first worked together in The Comancheros and this one is every bit as good as that rousing score.The action sequences are the best part of the film and the last half hour with the ambush on the bridge by Gregory's men right up to the explosive climatic battle with Wayne and Gregory, the excitement doesn't let up for a New York minute.
In particular one wishes that the two older brothers had more to say to each other, or shared some scenes alone - especially given the on-screen rapport Martin effortlessly created a few years earlier when he worked with Wayne in Rio Bravo (1959).As the villain of the piece, Hastings has an emphasised affinity with a special firearm.
The range of actors: a believable John Wayne, an entertaining Dean Martin with "third-eye" act, a menacing George Kennedy, a "likable" Strother Martin in a brief role as the winner of the third eye, and a fine performance by young Dennis Hopper makes the film above average viewing.The real hero of the movie is "Katie Elder" dead when the film begins, respected as the film unfolds, and never seen on screen.
This film of Hathaway, ably supported by Bernstein's music and Lucien Ballard's camera, is a great movie for an audience that wants to see a traditional western unfold--and but not be asked to think beyond what is shown..
We are also treated to another rousing score from composer Elmer Bernstien.The story has the four Elder brothers, John (Wayne), Tom (Dean Martin), Matt (Earl Holliman) and Bud (Michael Anderson Jr.) returning home to Clearwater, Texas for their mother's funeral (the "Katie" of the title).
As the ranch owner Katie Elder's four sons determine to avenge the murder of their father and the swindling of their mother .But the marshal, Paul Fix, tells them to lay off .This cultured actioner Western contains a wonderful friendship between brothers , thrills , dashingly violent action , rider pursuits , impressive attacks and loads of crossfire .
He does the human touch and full of insight that accompanied him during most of his films and the story develops pleasantly in a large frame with an interesting plot and fully adjusted to the requirements of the action .The motion picture is professionally directed by Henry Hathaway with strong screen presence by John Wayne , both of whom collaborated in various Westerns , they included ¨Five Card Stud¨ , ¨North to Alaska¨ and Wayne's Academy Award-winning ¨True grit¨.
The first scene I think of when I think of this film is the sight of John Wayne belting George Kennedy in the mouth with a 2 by four.It hurts my jaw just to look at it,or even think about it.He deserved it,by the way,as John Wayne once again takes on the bad guys,this time with the help of three brothers,played by Dean Martin,Earl Holliman,and Michael Anderson,Jr.They are not perfect,themselves,mind you,but they feel they, as well as their late parents,were done wrong and set out to make things right again.As for Katie Elder,we never get to meet her,as the film begins with her funeral,but we are told so much about her,that by the end of the film we have painted a pretty vivid picture of her in our minds.This movie is very adventurous,as most Duke films are,sad at times and even takes the time to be comical in places.The film also makes me sad for the Duke personally,because,as some of you may know,that on a break from filming this movie,Duke discovered he was sick with cancer for the first time.This movie is indeed a must have for any John Wayne fan..
The casting of the brothers just about works, but Michael Anderson Jr (Bud) and Earl Holliman (Matt) do seem to be overawed by the presence of John Wayne (John) and Dean Martin (Tom), meaning as a foursome it never quite gets to being a tight acting unit.
John Wayne as the weathered, weary gunslinger determined to give his mother a better legacy; Dean Martin as the lovable, harmless con artist; Earl Holliman as the wild west version of the middle child; Michael Anderson, Jr. as the baby whose full of p**s, vinegar and gunfighter worship and tired of living by everyone's rules.
Watching these four "express their opinions" is enough to make anyone want front row seats to the next reunion.James Gregory as Hastings, the new man determined to have the town in his pocket; Dennis Hopper as his son; George Kennedy as the hired gun who really, really enjoys his work.
All wonderfully written characters and fleshed out believably.While I do agree that this movie has a varied pace that drags at times and the music is distractingly close to "The Magnificent Seven" I still see the story of four sons who never realized the value of their own mother until her death.The opening scene at the railroad depot sets the underlying tension and up until the cattle drive, all the supporting characters are walking on eggshells.
There is one marvellous sequence involving an ambush on a bridge but otherwise the plot is flimsy and the classic elements we expect of a good western are mostly absent.This time round, instead of one hero we have four, the Elder Brothers, representing some serious miscasting between the youngest, Michael Anderson Jr, and the oldest, John Wayne.
Four brothers (Wayne, Martin, Holliman and Anderson) teams up after their mother death just to figure out that the bad guy of the city (Gregory) murdered their father and robbered their ranch.
He was also undergoing a stark change in his life, one that can be seen to some extent in the film he made early in 1965 with old friend Henry Hathaway (NORTH TO ALASKA) in the director's seat—namely THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER.Wayne, Dean Martin (reuniting with The Duke from RIO BRAVO), and relative greenhorns Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr. are four brothers who have returned to their former hometown of Clearwater, Texas to pay their respects to their mother Katie Elder, only to find that their family's ranch has been bought off under mighty peculiar circumstances, namely (and supposedly) a card game that their father lost, and was shot and killed for.
Then the four have it out with the man (James Gregory, who had played the manipulated politician in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE) who bought their family's ranch out in that suspicious way that he has, along with a beefy gunslinger (George Kennedy), and Gregory's vicious but none-too-sharp kid (Dennis Hopper).What was notable about KATIE ELDER was that it was the first film Wayne had done after having had one of his lungs removed (in late 1964) because of all the smoking and boozing he had done throughout his life.
There is also the reassuring presence of Strother Martin in one of his many character roles; the great cinematography of Lucien Ballard; and a rousing score by Elmer Bernstein, with the title song done by the legendary Man In Black himself, Johnny Cash.While both the film and its Big Star may seem quite dated in a lot of ways, as an old-fashioned, traditional Western opus, THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER delivers the goods in ways that you would expect any John Wayne film, especially one directed by Hathaway, to do.
Katie Elder has died.Her four sons return to Clearwater, Texas and mourn over her death.They also intend to get the ranch back and revenge for the murder of their father.The Sons of Katie Elder (1965) is directed by Henry Hathaway.The brothers are played by four terrific actors, which are John Wayne (John), Dean Martin (Tom), Michael Anderson, Jr.
(Bud) and Earl Holliman (Matt).Martha Hyer is wonderful as Mary Gordon.Jeremy Slate is terrific as Ben Latta.James Gregory is great as Morgan Hastings.The young Dennis Hopper gives a terrific performance as his son Dave.Paul Fix is superb as Sheriff Billy Watson.As the thuggish Curley you can see the marvelous George Kennedy.John Qualen is very good as Charlie Biller.Great job from Strother Martin, who plays Jeb Ross.And also from Karl Swenson as Doc Isdell.If a movie has John Wayne and Dean Martin in the lead, you can't expect a movie of bad quality.And this movie turns out to be a good western with Duke and Dino, but it's not their very best.It's not quite the level of Rio Bravo, which I saw again recently.But it entertains enough, like in the scene where those four brothers fight.And when these brothers fight, they really fight.And the gunfight in the end is a treat..
Well this film is perhaps not in Waynes top 20 it remains very watchable and can be veiwed on many occassions.Katie Elder had 4 sons it is asking a lot to accept the age range but it works well.Dean Martin gives a good performance as Tom and Duke is John the other brothers play their parts well but are dwarfed by the two stars.Hathways direction is tight and tho a bit on the slow side you can't switch off once watching.Filmed justt after Waynes lung had been removed you can see its importance in his career,the action scenes took a lot out of him but being the man he was he got them done with help from an oxygen mask,and many of the crew were impressed by his professionalism and bravery.A box office succes,it kept Wayne in the publics mind.So not quite a classic but worth watching for the two stars and the bravery of John Wayne no one else has ever filled the screen like the Duke.7/10.
I don't usually comment or review any John Wayne movies because of the strong personal bias I have in favor of this great American and great actor!However the other day I watched The Sons of Katie Elder for the 50th.
James Gregory, Paul Fix, Jeremy Slate, Dennis Hopper, George Kennedy and the rest of the cast are all at their best in this real good Henry Hathaway minor western classic.It was also the first movie John Wayne completed starring-in following his cancer surgery that removed one of his lungs.
The scene under the bridge when the brothers are being fired on by the bad guys, was a very demanding physical point for John Wayne in the movie.At times no one thought the Duke would ever finish this film.
John plays the elder, gunslinger brother of gambler Dean Martin, failed businessman Earl Holliman and college student Michael Anderson Jr., who all gather to see their mother, Katie Elder, buried.
This slow-paced Western is a typical example of how a dull action movie can be saved by Elmer Bernstein's powerful music score, just like he does to THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and THE GREAT ESCAPE.Director Henry Hathaway's better films are those crime drama he made in the 1940s.
Although he directed several John Wayne pictures in the 1960s, none of them is impressive enough to be treasured by Duke's fans.The film's simple revenge plot doesn't know how to start its action half of the time, it even lets the 4 brothers have a fistfight in their own house in order to arouse the sleepy audience.The scene where Dean Martin gets shot in the back by James Gregory is completely unbelievable, as he has Gregory's son (Dennis Hopper) at gunpoint but walks backward facing him.
John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman & Michael Anderson Jr. play John, Tom, Matt, & Bud Elder, four brothers who return to their hometown of Clearwater, Texas to attend their mother's funeral.
They then decide to look further into the death of their father, who was shot in the back after gambling away the deed to the ranch to Morgan Hastings(played by James Gregory) the town gunsmith and shady character who, along with his son(played by Dennis Hopper) know more about the killing than they are willing to admit.
From the opening scene with that locomotive spewing smoke out the top to that riveting Elmer Bernstein score I had a feeling this would be a top notch cowboy film....the director Henry Hathaway assembled a terrific cast...Earl Holliman, the Duke, Dean Martin...Martha Hyer, Dennis Hopper, the old character actor himself James Gregory and George Kennedy.
While Wayne is just the Duke in this film, Dean Martin is actually cast in a pretty good role in this film as John Elders brother.
It may be due to the fact that I’ve just gone through a run of The Duke’s films in honor of his 100th Anniversary, but I found myself more receptive to it this time around: the plot, simple as it is, being nonetheless reasonably compelling as Wayne and his three brothers (Dean Martin, Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr.) contrive to get to the bottom of their father’s violent death and the ensuing loss of the family ranch to a greedy landowner (James Gregory); the latter has a wimpish son (Dennis Hopper), so he appoints a stout and aggressive gunman (George Kennedy) to defend him against the Elders.
(with an age difference of almost 40 years) as brothers, leading the elder (sic) siblings to patronize the boy incessantly – and which, at one point, evolves into a completely gratuitous free-for-all among the clan!Buoyed by a typically majestic Elmer Bernstein score, the film rises to a pretty good extended climax – which goes from an ambush beside a bridge to a siege in a barn and, finally, an explosive showdown between Wayne and James Gregory at the local gun depot.
The score is good while Hathaway turns in a solid (there's that word again) performance as director even if a lot of the film is on internal sets.The cast are lead by star turns from Wayne and Martin.
Released in 1965 and directed by Henry Hathaway, "The Sons of Katie Elder" is a Western starring John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman and Michael Anderson Jr. as four brothers who reunite at their Southwest home town after the death of their mother.
The writers borrowed heavily from a few earlier Westerns that had been success, especially "Rio Bravo," but the results look like the imitations that they are.John Wayne is the eldest of four brothers of the recently deceased Katy Elder, who died alone and in poverty, darning socks and doing laundry to put one of her sons through school.
The four sons return for Katy's funeral.In brief, they discover that Ma had been cheated out of her land by Hastings, James Gregory, and his gang, which includes the hired cut throat played by George Kennedy.To get them out of his hair, Hastings frames the Elders for the murder of the decent Sheriff, Paul Fix. It takes the rest of the film for the sons to clear themselves and reveal the machinations of Hastings.It's strictly routine.
John Wayne, Dean Martin, Earl Holliman (The Forbidden Planet), and Michael Anderson Jr. are the Elder sons who return to their mother's funeral, finding a town who wants no part of them.
Notorious gunslinger John Elder (John Wayne of "Rio Bravo") returns to his dusty hometown of Clearwater, Texas, to pay his final respects to his deceased mother in Henry Hathaway's first-rate western "The Sons of Katie Elder," co-starring Dean Martin, Earl Holliman, James Gregory, George Kennedy, and Michael Anderson, Jr.
Interestingly, Wayne garnered his only Oscar as best actor in another Henry Hathaway horse opera called "True Grit." "The Sons of Katie Elder" represented the second time that Wayne and Martin co-starred in a western. |
tt0071970 | The Parallax View | Seattle, Washington. Senator Charles Carroll (William "Bill" Boyce), an independent senator, is holding a luncheon atop the Seattle Space Needle. Joe Frady (Warren Beatty), an alcoholic journalist, tries to gain entry to the luncheon, but is turned away. At the restaurant atop the Space Needle, Senator Carroll is holding a press conference when he is suddenly shot to death by an unseen assassin. Everyone looks around and sees a waiter holding a gun, and he is jumped by security guards. However, a second waiter (Bill McKinney), who also has a gun (and the real or second shooter) leaves unnoticed. The first waiter replies that he didn't do it, and he is chased over the roof of the building by guards, where he accidentally slips and falls off the roof to his death. The real assassin chuckles as he leaves the scene and reports to an unseen contact that the job is finished. Four months later, a commission holds a special public gathering and they conclude that the waiter, named Thomas Richard Lindern (Chuck Waters), acted alone and that there is no greater conspiracy to the assassination of Senator Carroll.Three years later. Joe Frady, writing for a Portland, Oregon newspaper, sets himself up to get arrested to get a story on a major drug bust. Frady is bailed out of jail by his boss and editor Bill Rintels (Hume Cronyn) who always complains that Frady is trying to create news rather than reporting it. Shortly thereafter, Frady is visited by Lee Carter (Paula Prentiss), a Seattle newscaster and his former girlfriend, who tells them that she fears for her life. Lee tells Frady that someone is trying to kill her and that six other reporters at the luncheon have all died mysteriously during the past two years. Frady shrugs her off by telling her that she's just being paranoid. But a few days later, Lee is found dead in her apartment. Frady investigates and the coroner tells him that she apparently killed herself with an overdose of sleeping pills, but Frady knows different.Frady tells Rintels that there is a story brewing here about the events behind the Senator Carroll assassination, and Rintels reluctantly agrees to let Frady pursue his story. Frady meets with a former FBI agent (Kenneth Mars) who informs him that they are many methods that can be used to make someone's death look like an accident or suicide such as certain drugs which are fatal, but show up that a person's heart failed on them.Frady travels to a small fishing village in upstate Washington where one of the witnesses to Carroll's assassination died. At the local bar, a rough deputy, named Red (Earl Hindman), tries to beat up Frady, but after a long and vicious fistfight, Frady wins, knocking out Deputy Red. The sheriff, L.D. Wicker (Kelly Thorsden), appears and applauds Frady for standing up to his loathsome deputy and he is rather friendly towards him. Frady asks the sheriff for information about the dead person, claiming to be an old friend.Sheriff L.D. takes Frady to the spot where the Carroll witness died: a small creek right in front of a large dam. The sheriff explains that the man, Alan Bridges, was fishing when a dam sluice had opened up, releasing tons of water to relieve pressure on the dam as it does every few days and that that Bridges was washed away and drowned. Just then, a siren announces that the dam sluice is opening again. Suddenly, the sheriff pulls a gun on Frady explaining that he cannot let him get too close to what happened to Mr. Bridges. Frady and the sheriff struggle and are swept away by the wall of water that hits both of them. Frady grabs a shore rock and makes it ashore while the sheriff is swept away and drowns.Taking Sheriff L.D.'s car, Frady goes to the sheriff's apartment to search it for evidence and finds test applications to the Parallax Corporation. Just then, Deputy Red arrives at the apartment looking for the sheriff and Frady runs. After a long and wild car case, Frady escapes from the deputy.Returning to Portland, Frady tells Rintels what happened and shows him the copies of the Parallax Corporation application tests, and that there's something big going on. But Rintels refuses to believe Frady is onto something. Frady takes the test application to a psychology lab where the attending psychoanalyst believes that the tests are for measuring one's mental state and ability to commit crimes. Frady allows a lab worker, and a former prison convict who served time for murder, to take the test. Using the alias of "Richard Paley", Frady submits the finished test result to Parallax.A few days later, Frady meets with Austin Tucker (William Daniels), a former Carroll aide, who has arrived in the country and claims that people are trying to kill him for Senator Carroll had many enemies from his past for his liberal views and work. Tucker and his aide/bodyguard take Frady out on a sailboat where he confides in Frady that there is indeed a wide conspiracy in the Carroll assassination and that Thomas Richard Lindern did not act alone and that a powerful corporation may have covered it up. Tucker shows photos that were taken of the luncheon on that day, and points to the second waiter in one of the photographs and asks Frady if he knows the man. Frady doesn't and asks why. Tucker tells Frady that it's probably nothing, but Tucker also explains that he cannot shake the feeling that the second waiter looks familiar. A few minutes later, the boat explodes from a bomb hidden in the cabin. Frady sitting on the bow of the boat jumps overboard, while Tucker and his aide, catching the full blast, are killed.Frady meets with Rintels and tells him about what happened and Rintels agrees to help Frady with his story. Using his alias, Frady checks himself into a fleabag motel in downtown Los Angeles, and a few days later a certain 'Jack Younger' (Walter McGinn), claiming to be a representative of the Parallax Corporation, contacts Frady in his room and says that his aggressiveness (as shown on the test answers) makes him valuable for certain corporations. Younger asks Frady/Richard Paley to join the corporation for the 'special projects' division.Frady goes to the Parallax offices in downtown L.A. and meets with Mr. Younger who shows him a special room where Frady is 'tested' with a series of brainwashing techniques with him being shown various photos and images of death and destruction as if to make him suitable for indoctrination. Frady becomes aware that this branch of the Parallax is a training ground for assassins.As Frady is leaving the building for the day when his 'tests' are finished, he spots the second waiter from the Tucker photo talking to some businessmen. Frady follows the second waiter/assassin outside to his car and tails him driving around the city. The assassin switches cars with another person, and obtains a briefcase which he takes to the local airport.The assassin checks himself on a plane to Chicago, and Frady checks himself on the same plane. The plane takes off, but the assassin does not board for he has apparently checked in his briefcase which has a bomb in it. On the plane, Frady sees that that assassin is nowhere to be found, and after seeing that a prominent senator on board, realizes that the plane must have a bomb on board. After trying to sneak a message on a restroom mirror, Frady anonymously passes a note on a napkin to a stewardess that a bomb is on board. The stewardess relays the news to the pilot who immediately returns the plane to Los Angeles. After everyone has disembarked, the plane explodes.Frady returns to his seedy motel room to find Mr. Younger waiting for him and he informs Frady that Parallax have already had an offer of employment for Frady, but he immediately expresses suspicion as a background check made by Parallax on Frady showed that some of his references were false. Frady then makes up a new alias for Younger explaining that he's an alcoholic and lied on his background to land a job. Younger offers to look into it and again promises Frady that Parallax is a great opportunity for people like him, and then leaves.Realizing that it will only be a matter of time before they discover his real identity, Frady secretly mails the Parallax test papers and an audiotape he made on a mini-tape recorder of his conversation with Younger to Rintels. Along with it is a note from Frady who explains that he may be in way over his head and that if anything were to happen to him, that Rintels should publish this information about Parallax and what they do on the sidelines of recruiting assassins to kill prominent officials who threaten or get too close to the corporation's nefarious plans. Rintels listens to the tape and finally realizes that Frady is onto something big. Rintels, who practically lives in his office and orders take-out food every day from a deli across the street, orders more food as he reviews more of the papers Frady has mailed to him. Just then, the deli delivery guy arrives with Rintels' latest food order. The delivery guy is the Parallax assassin in disguise. The next morning, Rintels is found dead by his employees in his office, dead from an apparent "heart attack" after he was poisoned. The evidence is gone and the audio tape has been erased.In Los Angeles, Frady, unaware of Rintels' murder and that he is now on his own, gets his first assignment to meet with his new co-worker at a local hotel for their "assignments". Frady sneaks out of the planned meeting place and goes to Parallax's offices asking to meet with Mr. Younger, but is told that Younger is out. Frady spots the Parallax assassin and follows him into the hallways of the L.A. Convention Center. Mr. Younger is there with more Parallax businessmen/assassins where they are talking about their latest plans. Frady watches them from a distance as Mr. Younger leaves and the Parallax assassin and a few others go to the platforms above the floor of the convention hall.Frady sees that down below Senator Hammond (Jim Davis), a prominent California senator, is rehearsing a speech he will give that night. Frady believes that the assassin is going to shoot the senator with a rifle that he loads and lies down on the walkway above the convention hall. Then, just as Senator Hammond is planning to leave before he makes his appearance, the assassin suddenly leaves, leaving Frady in hiding on the walkway, alone and locked in the area. Suddenly, shots ring out as one of the assassins shoots and kills Hammond with a second rifle from a concealed location, just as Hammond is riding in a golf cart out of the convention hall. Everyone looks up and around for the shooter, and sees Frady.... standing on the plank way above them near the unused rifle. THEY THINK HE DID IT!!!! Frady realizes (way too late) that he's been set up! Frady hides under the plank way as three Parallax security guards/assassins show up looking for him. When police sirens are heard, the three assassins flee, leaving the door to the exit wide open. After a few minutes, Frady tries to run for the exit, when the assassin appears as a menacing silhouette in the doorway (anticipating that Frady would do just that) and guns him down, and thus announces that they got the shooter.Several months later, a second congressional commission is held where the commissioner members (pompous and easily fooled) report that Frady had blamed Senator Hammond for the Carroll assassination and had sought revenge. Once again for apparently the countless time, the Parallax Corporation gets away with it when the commission rules that there is no conspiracy in the Hammond assassination and the Parallax name is not mentioned at all. Frady was the lone assassin. Case closed. | brainwashing, neo noir, murder | train | imdb | When I hear mention of Warren Beatty these days I almost begin to snore, but before Beatty became a boring old fart he made a handful of very interesting and adventurous movies like 'Mickey One', 'McCabe & Mrs Miller' and 'The Parallax View', hardly safe Hollywood movie star material.
Caan successfully defeats the setup, telling and punchline (though he's probably not long for this world.)In the case of Warren Beatty in the PARALLAX VIEW, he is elected to take the fall for a political assassination which will simultaneously discredit his own conspiracy investigations.
Pakula's 1974 film about political murders is a superbly crafted thriller that holds the audience in its quiet, unsettling grip.Warren Beatty gives his character of Joe Frady, a "third-rate" journalist, just the right balance of recklessness and determination to enable one to have faith in this man to uncover such shady, potentially threatening goings-on.Beatty is ably backed up by the supporting cast, most notably Hume Cronyn as Frady's editor, and Paula Prentiss and William Daniels as, respectively, a television reporter and columnist both in fear for their lives.Composer Michael Small's main theme (used at strategic points throughout the film and often playing on the traditional patriotic sound of the trumpet) has a quality both mournful and despairing that relates effectively to what we are watching.
Gordon Willis's Panavision photography conveys threat in even the most everyday of locations (his rendering of modern architecture is especially strong in suggesting a faceless, omnipotent threat), while the editing rhythms and sound design contribute a great deal in throwing the audience off-balance.Pakula has been involved in more widely-known projects such as All The President's Men and Presumed Innocent, but The Parallax View is definitely one of his best and most powerful films..
"The Parallax View" was one of the movies that reflected this.* Joe Frady (Warren Beatty) is a reporter who one day is covering a candidate's campaign, when the candidate is assassinated.
If you have a single definitive answer (or view), then you don't have a parallax (view).Everyone will come out of this film with a different idea of what it was about or what really happened -- their own interpretations of the information presented to them -- kind of like how conspiracy theorists generally operate.For example, Zapruder shot his JFK film from one angle -- and 12 other people also shot films or photos at the moments of the assassination, all from different angles (or points of view).
And when something malevolent happens, the suspense is diffused in favor of creeping through this dark, kitchen-sink world governed by power, fear and indoctrination.Another thing at which Pakula excels, and at which he reached an indelible peak in All the President's Men, is demonstrated consistently throughout The Parallax View.
Nevertheless, in Z, it adds up to a clear-cut conspiracy, even though not all the conspirators will be punished; here it adds up to a depressing - but again "real" - failure to get the evidence where and when it is needed (like Silkwood).What sets it apart in my viewing, however, is the way Pakula deploys visual metaphors throughout the story, and I am disappointed that other commentators obviously haven't picked up on them.
And whilst it may not be as polished or complete a production as the other two movies, I'd argue that it's the one which is most effective at capturing the early 1970's paranoiac Zeitgeist.The thriller stars Hollywood legend Warren Beatty as an American small-town journalist, Joseph Frady, who becomes drawn into a deadly investigation due to events he witnessed earlier in his career.
The purpose of this 'film within a film' seems to be to question the amount of trust that we should place in society's traditional institutions.So, although The Parallax View ultimately may lack the cohesion and cinematic rhythm to be an outstanding thriller or mystery - unlike the masterpiece that is Chinatown, for example - this unusual film still deserves to be regarded as a classic of the conspiracy genre.
Not only are the political-paranoia aspects dated today, and way over-used by many other films since, but the picture doesn't even work perfectly as a thriller; it holds some interest most of the way but in the final 20 minutes, when the story is supposed to be climaxing, the suspense just peters out and drains away.
They should have done away with the awkward plane scene and prolonged this as the stage where we know our movie about political conspiracy is going to play again (the first time on the Shuttle we weren't looking close, now we will).
Not Dated At All. Not only is PARALLAX VIEW not dated, it remains a sleeper of a film and an eye-opening study of how an innocent person hovering at the edge of a conspiracy investigation is attracted, manipulated, and finally shoved in as the patsy for the murder of a Presidential candidate.The John F.
Conspiracy thriller has newspaper reporter Warren Beatty investigating years-old assassination of a U.S. Senator wherein witnesses to the shooting are all mysteriously dying.
OK, the cinematography by Gordon Willis is excellent and Hume Cronyn is as good as ever (in a role announcing Jason Robarts' award-winning performance in All the President's Men).If you're looking for a good conspiracy movie I'd rather advise you to watch Three Days of the Condor.
(Pakula followed this with the equally excellent "All the President's Men." I suppose some would call that film paranoid, as well.)Beatty witnesses an assassination atop the Space Needle in Seattle, and gets the conspiracy bug bad, as he watches one mysterious witness death, after another.
Pakula's mastery for the political thriller has cemented The Parallax View as a longstanding classic that will certainly not be surpassed anytime soon.Upon the assassination of Senator Charles Carroll (William Joyce), of which Joseph Frady (Warren Beatty) witnessed, several other witnesses are being murdered.
An ambitious reporter (Warren Beatty) gets in way-over-his-head trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines.This is not a well-known thriller, even with Beatty leading the way.
(SOME SPOILERS) Early conspiracy film that goes to great lengths to show it's audience how a assassination of a political figure is set up like a magic show where the observers eyes are made to follow the wrong person, with help from fellow conspirators planted at the scene, while the real killer or killers get away Scot-free.
Just listening to Michael Small's score and his subtle, ingenious layering of minor chords seathing ominously through a Sousa style march as if to say all is not as it appears, always gives me chills every time I watch this movie.Every scene and sound speaks a poetic subtext of underlying conspiracy and paranoia like no "X-files" episode ever could.
This movie was my first realization of how film language and score could communicate volumes so eloquently beyond the spoken word.With the tranquil, contemplative and modularly composed cinematography combined with an abrupt, stark and agnst ridden editing style as was done in "Klute", Parallax View shows a cinematic sophistication that makes current films seem contrived and dumbed down no matter the maturity of the subject.It's a cinematic layering of hints to Kennedy assassination theories, shadowy "men in black" hit men recruited as government security, implying a deep subgovernment network pulling political strings under a facade of right wing flag waving corporate culture.
Some of the more effective scenes of Beatty's character pretending to be recruited by the shadowy Parallax Corporation are fairly tense and effective, but are quickly overwhelmed by plodding, predictable nonsense.This may have been a good made-for-TV movie at the time, but not much more.
If you like Warren Beatty, Hume Cronyn, Jo Ann Harris, Anthony Zerbe, the rest of the cast in the film, Thrillers, and interesting Action films then I strongly recommend you to see the Parallax View today!.
You get the sense that Pakula, who would go on to Direct All the President's Men, was attempting to say something, but those pesky conventions of thriller cinema kept thwarting him as if he were drowning in his own little Hollywood conspiracy.At the time of the film's release, America was still reeling from the duplicity of Kissingerian power politics.
Do we all secretly take the written test, looking at the questions before us like, "do you believe people are following you?"This film takes the reality of the assassination of Senator Robert Kennedy, JFK, and Martin Luther King and adds the "second gunman" conspiracy.
Parallax View seems a bit dated by today's standards; while not hopelessly mired in the 70s as other films of its time, it nonetheless embraces the trust no one' feel of the day, when Watergate ran rampant and government was a looming evil in everyone's lives (good to know that some things haven't changed).
Beatty stars as Joe Frady, an investigative journalist who begins to get interested in an assassination story three years after it happened because one by one all the witnesses are dying off.
Even a last minute twist doesn't help; while the movie keeps us on edge through most of its length, it never ups the ante toward the end, and it should.But still, Parallax is an effective thriller and a well-made film, certainly earning a place with better known pictures of a similar ilk, such as Three Days of the Condor or All the President's Men. The twist ending is still a surprise and would be virtually unthinkable by today's Hollywood standards (see the remake of Manchurian Candidate for proof).
Pakula's best installment of his so-called "political paranoia" trilogy, The Parallax View was produced after Klute and before All the President's Men. The confidence of the viewer is undermined from plot point to plot point, with a political assassination in the opening, and the killing of the leading lady (Paula Prentiss), even more abruptly than in Psycho or Dressed to Kill.
So production began without a script and in the midst of a writers' strike in Hollywood, but Pakula liked chaos and cunningly judged it an opportunity, in light of ongoing political developments in the US.As a film, PARALLAX has an interesting premise, with reporters who watched an assassination being steadily assassinated themselves, leaving only Frady (Beatty) on the run, and he just survives the whole nefarious and sinister affair but the film ends on an unconnected compilation of stills which are meant to be significant but which just highlight the gargantuan ambitiousness of a film that simply does not have the script, the direction or the actors, to make a cogent statement.At his own imposition, Beatty was always shot in a manner that enhanced his good looks, from angles that he would personally endorse, regardless of Pakula's vision, and that caused some friction between the two men .
At the end of this story, they behave exactly like the Warren Commission, insisting that they close the books on what is their theory of the Parallax case.Inquisitive reporter WARREN BEATTY decides to do an investigation of his own after more than half a dozen witnesses to the crime are subject to suspicious deaths.
A relatively interesting paranoia political thriller, the film is quite well directed by Pakula, who gives careful attention to the way in which every shot is set up.
Pakula has a great eye when it comes to light and darkness, and he knows how make every scene look interesting - a talent that he used further and to better use in 'All the President's Men' a couple of years later - and having Woody Allen's frequent cinematographer, Gordon Willis, on hand helps.
Likely, Pakula was inspired by Watergate and the re-opening of the JFK assassination, both which happened at the time this film was made.
One of the best of all conspiracy theory movies and a brilliant political thriller, "The Parallax View" came from a time in the mid-seventies when American cinema appeared to have reached a peak in providing intelligent, grown-up entertainments that were both fun to watch and which required bringing your brain into the cinema with you rather than leaving it in the foyer with the popcorn.
The above film is a far superior political thriller in comparison to the same director's later film, "All the President's Men." "The Parallax View" is actually a powerful and quite disturbing film about the efforts of one journalist (Warren Beatty) who investigates supposedly accidental deaths which are all linked to the events that unfold at the beginning of the film.
Enter Alan Pakula and his trilogy of paranoia series...Klute, Parallax View and All the President's Men. Even Coppola got in on it with an even better film than Parallax...The Conversation.These are all good films but they all suffer from 1 main thing...it's all a conspiracy so watch out.
I am going to file this one under "lost classic."Warren Beatty plays Joseph Frady a reporter who, along with his girlfriend Lee (paula Prentiss), witnesses the assassination of Senator in Seattle.
We know Alan Pakula showed a lot of interest in doing "uncomfortable" movies, which explore the mysteries of American political life (see above all "All the President's men" of 1976).This "Parallax view" was made two years before, in 1974.
Thirty-odd years on, it still packs a punch and had me hooked from start to finish.Bookended by the deliberately near-darkness, slow-tracking shots of the official investigating committee's delivery of the valedictory (and as events show) clearly wrong "lone-gunman" verdict on the two political assassinations (indicating symbolically the shadiness and anonymity of the authorities), producer/director Pakula in-between delivers a taut, gripping and highly intelligent political thriller.Made only 6 years after the dual RFK/MLK assassinations and barely two after the attempted murder of Democratic candidate George Wallace, the movie expounds its "conspiracy-theory" prognosis winningly and borrows actual aspects from both Kennedy killings (for JFK, the mysterious deaths of innumerable key witnesses, for RFK, the actual staging of the hit itself, in a high-profile contained setting) to further bolster credibility.
Pakula mixes up shots, changing perspective and lighting throughout to keep the viewer off-guard, the camera often pointing upwards (symbolising danger/evil in high places), but never loses the heart of the story.It also benefits from a great lead performance by Warren Beatty as a fairly unlikeable maverick journalist, Joe Frady, himself a bystander at the first killing, who finally gets convinced that there's a story here when one too many co-witness/victim (and one known personally to him) predicts her own "sudden death" which duly occurs only days later.Like the equally superb "Manchurian Candidate" from the previous decade, the viewer is manipulated into believing the unbelievable (that the political authorities were at least ignorant and at worst complicit in the taking-out of high-ranking figures in the public eye, as carried out here by the mysterious, nefarious CIA-like Parallax Corporation), the film also borrows from its predecessor the "brainwashing" premise of assassin-recruitment.
Of course the film is dated in some ways, with some gratuitous fight/chase sequences and we're never properly made aware as to just why the two politicians are singled out for death, its somewhat demeaning outlook towards women and the insertion of the lengthy "Parallax" mind-suggestion sequence like an overspill from the psychedelic 60's, but at the time and today, this terrific movie held and indeed still holds up a grimy mirror in the face of America's political establishment while at the same time delivering great cinematic entertainment..
Pakula (All the Presidents Men} here tackles another political conspiracy film, this though its not based in fact like his Oscar winning effort (well at least I don't think so} but its none the worse for that as its still an enthralling viewing, albeit a very slow one, Beatty is perfectly cast as the nosey reporter, who is deeper in than he realizes, he thinks he's the hunter, when the reality is quite different.
Since it's the 70s we're also given a fairly bleak ending meant to rile up an audience that's lived through the Kennedy assassination, Vietnam and Watergate and Nixon, and know something must be wrong here.Warren Beatty plays in good star power a low-rent journalist who was there the day a senator was killed in the Seattle needle tower.
Three years later a woman he knew comes to him saying that six of the 18 people who were there and saw the killing have been dying, one by one, in "accidents." Beatty investigates and soon finds a "corporation" called Parallax, which is like some crazy security company that oversees special interests.
Warren Beatty plays reporter Joe Frady, whose investigation of the assassination of a U.S. Senator leads him to a multinational corporation called Parallax, which seems to specialize in training assassins for various missions.
Joseph Frady (Warren Beatty) is an investigative journalist who is tipped off that the assassination of a senator 3 years ago may have involved more than one person.
Seems like our assassins seem to be cut from the same mold.What can I say, but Beatty becomes a victim of his own story.I saw The Parallax View when it came out in theater years ago.
We learn nothing about the mysterious Parallax Corporation except that like many other movie evil corporations, they believe that the best way to cover up an assassination is to kill as many other people as possible.The pacing is slow, the storytelling is weak, even the cinematography, while impressive, is seriously dated looking.Trapped inside for a weekend?
The fact that the events that unfolded are not plausible only reinforced my feeling that maybe it was just his way of pointing out to a cynical public that the idea of this type of organized conspiracy was simply ludicrous, so he presented a film that suggests just that!Personally I liked the movie, there is a good cast with Warren Beatty, William Daniels, Paula Prentiss, Hume Conyn and Earl Hindaman (who played Mr Brown in the taking of Pelham 1,2,3).
Parallax View, starring Warren Beatty playing a reporter in Alan J Pakula's film, a couple years before ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN. |
tt0100502 | RoboCop 2 | After the success of the RoboCop program, Omni Consumer Products (OCP) has a new scheme to have Detroit completely under their control. They plan to have the city default on its debt, then foreclose on the entire city, taking over its government. They will then replace the old neighborhoods with Delta City, a new planned city center independent of the United States government.
To rally public opinion behind urban redevelopment and Delta City construction, OCP sparks an increase in street crime. As Detroit Police Department is owned by OCP, they terminate police pension plans and cut salaries, triggering a police strike. RoboCop, due to his directives, is unable to strike and remains on duty with his partner, Anne Lewis. The two raid a manufacturing plant of Nuke, a new designer drug that has been plaguing the streets of Detroit. RoboCop kills all the criminals, except for a young criminal named Hob, who shoots him and escapes.
Meanwhile, OCP struggles to develop "RoboCop 2", which is expected to be mass-produced and completely replace police officers. To their frustration, all the newly resurrected officers immediately commit suicide. Dr. Juliette Faxx, an unscrupulous psychologist, concludes that Alex Murphy's strong sense of duty and his moral objection to suicide due to his Roman Catholic religion were the reasons behind his ability to adapt to his resurrection as RoboCop. Faxx convinces the Old Man to let her control the project, this time using a criminal with a desire for power and immortality. Despite other executives' objection, Faxx is allowed to proceed.
Nuke's distributor, the power-hungry Cain, feels threatened by the Delta City plan. He fears that he will lose his market if the city is redeveloped into a capitalistic utopia. He is assisted by his girlfriend Angie, his apprentice Hob, and Duffy, a corrupt police officer and Nuke addict. RoboCop tracks down Duffy and beats Cain's location out of him. He confronts Cain's gang at an abandoned construction site, but is overwhelmed. The criminals cut apart his body and dump the pieces in front of his precinct. Cain has Duffy tortured to death for revealing their location, and forces Hob to watch.
RoboCop is repaired, but Faxx reprograms him with over 300 new directives, severely impeding his ability to perform his duties. One of his original technicians suggests that a massive electrical charge might reboot his system. RoboCop shocks himself with a high voltage transformer. The charge erases all of his directives, including the original ones, allowing him to be in complete control. Murphy motivates the officers to aid him in raiding Cain's hideout. As Cain tries to escape, RoboCop intercepts and heavily wounds him. Hob escapes and takes control of Cain's drug empire. Believing she can control him with Nuke, Faxx selects Cain for the RoboCop 2 project, and puts his brain in a towering and heavily armed body.
Hob arranges a meeting with the Detroit mayor, saying that the mayor needs to institute a "hands off" policy towards Nuke. In exchange, Hob presents the mayor with a truckload of cash and gold in order to retire the city's debt to OCP, which would nullify the Delta City project. Threatened by this move, OCP sends RoboCop 2/Cain to the meeting to kill Hob. Cain slaughters everyone in sight, except for the mayor who manages to escape. He kills Angie by breaking her neck and fatally wounds Hob. As RoboCop arrives, Hob identifies the attacker and dies.
During the unveiling ceremony for Delta City and RoboCop 2, the Old Man presents a canister of Nuke as a symbol of the current crime wave. Seeing Nuke, Cain goes berserk and attacks the crowd. RoboCop arrives and fights Cain. The two battle throughout the building, and the fight eventually extends to the street. The police force arrives and engages Cain, who opens fire at officers and civilians alike. RoboCop recovers the Nuke canister and has Lewis give it to Cain, who stops fighting to administer the drug to himself. As Cain feels the drug's effect, RoboCop leaps onto his back, shoots through his armor and rips out his brain. He crushes the brain, ending Cain's rampage.
The Old Man decides to scapegoat Faxx to escape blame, and leaves. As Lewis complains that OCP is escaping accountability again, RoboCop insists they must be patient because "We're only human." | gothic, murder, violence, good versus evil, satire, revenge, sci-fi | train | wikipedia | Plot: RoboCop 2 is the 1990 sequel to RoboCop. Peter Weller returns as the cybernetic law enforcement officer, who now battles an even more sadistic gang led by a deranged killer known as Cain (Tom Noonan), while mega-corporation Omni Consumer Products prepares to take private ownership of Detroit and unveil a new, more powerful law enforcement unit.
Let me quote Paul Verhoeven's commentary about the original: "the whole style of the movie is 'too much'".The real failing of this sequel lies in the story, which is full of threads that are either resolved badly (the attempt to reprogram RoboCop with new directives) or not resolved at all (RoboCop's memories of his wife).
The weaponry on this cyborg was quite impressive as well.The actors in this film did a fine job, I can't think of any that I disliked and the direction of Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back) was quite good as well.Even though I liked this film a great deal, I still wouldn't recommend it to everyone.
This movie has a much better climax than the original, and the final moments of violence at the ending have some of the best special effects I have ever seen(without the use of cgi)in a movie.My problem is that people always accuse films like this of not being realistic enough.
The film is full of violence but it's mainly of the long-range bullets-hit-bad-guys type: the only thing close to the original's over-the-top nature was the brain removal and the stomach-slicing.Phil Tippett is on hand, luckily, to deliver some entertaining stop-motion action scenes which really liven up the final scenes of carnage.Sadly, the bad guys never come across as meanly as Clarence Boddicker did in the first, OCP seem unnecessarily annoying and the little kid is just annoying.
I am surprised to see that this movie is bashed almost by everyone, i am in the minority that enjoyed this movie.RoboCop 2 is directed by Irvin Kershner, director of 5th episode of the Star Wars saga, "The Empire Strikes Back".Plot: A new dangerous drug called "Nuke" is circulating in the streets manufactured by the god-delirious "Kane"....now Alex "Robocop" Murphy as a new enemy to fight !
Some of the stars complained about the movie being "Too violent" and "negative", probably this is the reason why we don't see Peter Weller RoboCop 3RoboCop 2 still contains some satire, like in the first one, but if i tell you i will be forced to spoil something.Too bad that it's followed by the kid friendly "Robocop 3"......
As with the first movie there are newsclips hinting of the helplessness of the time, where environmental catastrophes come one straight after another, holes multiplying in the dam, with not enough fingers and toes to stop up them all.This movie gets a bad rap maybe because it is not as flawless as the original RoboCop, for example the baddie Cain (Tom Noonan) is pretty listless compared to Clarence Boddiker from the first movie, and it's genuinely a nastier piece of work, however it contains its fair share of iconic moments, and ends up closer to being a horror movie than anything else, just absolutely haunting..
Overall the story is a little weak, but Robocop 2 gets a 10 out of 10 stars great sci fi action movie.
Whenever I'm done with one story I always wait in anticipation for the next and I'm always wondering what will happen next, this sequel didn't disappoint me yeah I know I'm probably in the minority on this but I think this is a really good if criminally underrated sequel.There are just a lot of things I really like about it the fact the script is written by one of my favorite comic book writers "Frank Miller".
But I still really like this sequel all the same I think it's good in it's own way, I consider this sequel scenario B in my book.But getting down more to the jist of it, The score is great, I love the new theme of Robocop there is slightly more light touch to it where it still has that epic heroic tone but also slight comic book sensibility to it.I like the really really dark setting, we see that OCP has really fraked up bad, Detroit City practically looks like "Hell on Earth", everything is just completely out of control there is crime left and right, let alone one too many lawbreakers enough to give Robo a field day.
But anyway practically all hell breaks loose both are just their just shooting the crap out of each other, they go though walls and floors, it even goes to the city streets of Detroit, cops are joining in the fight, there are explosions and multiple casualties it's just completely crazy but awesome.The only misfire of the film is in that scene where both Alex Murphy/Robocop and his wife Elen have a meeting, that scene did nothing for the film and just felt like one that should of been deleted, since the film wasn't even going to bother tackling Robo's human dilemma like in the first film why even have it at all.Robocop 2 despite not quite as good as the first it still has enough firepower to get the job done.Rating: 3 and a half stars.
I've always had a soft-spot for directors who use stop-motion animation rather than computer graphics (which were starting to take hold around the time) - directors such as Sam Raimi - it has such an amusing giggle quality to it.I won't bore you with the plot, but I would have to say that along with Godfather II, Empire Strikes Back (which I believe was done by the same director), Aliens and (dare I say it) Superman 2, that this is a better sequel, despite loving the original.
Violent Fun. Sure, the film's storyline is like that of a Comic Book, but if you enjoy to watch Peter Weller play as Robocop, the Gun-Totin' Law Enforcer of the future, this movie is as fun as the first, and better than the 3rd (which wasn't very good at all, and lacked Peter Weller)The movie actually has some suspenseful moments, but it's main purpose is to serve the bloody shoot-out craving in most of us.If you compare it to Robocop's Comic Book Spin-Offs, Cartoon Spin-Offs, and even TV Series Spin-Offs, Robocop 2 is a classic film..
How can you go wrong with a script by Frank Miller (comic book writer/artist responsible for "The Dark Knight Returns" and many years on Marvel's "Daredevil") and the director of "The Empire Strikes Back?" In my book, "R2" picks up exactly where the original left off, with more action, better character development, and maintains the sly sense of humor of the first film.
Robocop 2 sure looks good on paper: Irvin Kershner directing, whose Empire Strikes Back gets as many votes as the others for best in the Star Wars series, and Frank Miller writing, the comic book writer/artist whose Batman revisions sparked a renaissance in the genre in the late 1980s.
Additionally, both are working from the surprisingly entertaining premise of the original Robocop, in which a deceased cop is resurrected as a law-and-order killing machine with identity problems.The sequel is all but unrecognizable, with hardly two enjoyable minutes to be found in the entirity of this gritty, spiteful film.
This film was a pale imitation of it's predecessor, lacking in the originality and humor that made Robocop 1 such a great movie.
The first shots of the film depicting a decrepit like Detroit are a great example of this.Not only was Robocop 2 able to pack in decent dialogue to move the story along and gobs of action that looked sufficiently believable (considering the fact that Robocop can't run,jump, or duck) than anything I've seen coming out today (The Matrix has been over done, played out), you get a lesson in corporate politics on what could happen when a democratic city government seeks help from a large corporation (OCP) to keep it from going bankrupt.
Robocop 1 was a good movie no doubt, but Robocop 2 is a great example of what you can do with special effects to carry a film that critics say didn't have a strong cast or plot line.
The villain in robocop 2 (Cain, in human form and especially robot form) has stood out to be the best villian I've even seen to balance out that of good and evil in a movie.
It appears that I'll have to be the one to create the next action packed special effects "Ultra Violent" film considering that I've seen no movie come close (that's right, in the year is 2003) to anything robocop 2 ever did.
The story is all over the place, characters disappear and we don't know what happened them, and most, if not all, of the scenes which flesh out Murphy's human side are edited out, why?The original plot for this film is brilliant, and I believe that if it had have been used then RoboCop 2 would have been a much better film, and the RoboCop franchise would still be going strong today, and we may even have had a RoboCop 4 in the last 90's.If MGM want to make some decent money, they should release a Directors Cut version of the film which would contain the 15/20 minutes of extra footage that we never saw.
The graphic violence of the original film was used to great satirical effect and was often sardonically humorous, such as ED-209 blowing a company exec to bits at a board meeting, or it had a real point; Clarence Boddicker's biblical execution of Murphy.
RoboCop is undeniably one of the most defining movies of the 80s, so when the sequel comes out everyone expects it to be just as good if not better than the original.
The prototype RoboCop 2's that kill themselves was pretty funny as is the scene where RoboCop stops in the middle of the street shoots at a guy then tells him "thankyou for not smoking".The film takes on lots of plots and ideas and then never really delivers the goods, you've got RoboCop stalking his wife and child yet the relationship or his reactions to the fact that he can never have a relationship again is never explored, its just left hanging - just like the Frankenstein plot of RoboCop 2 - why does the female doctor hate RoboCop anyhow?
That scene was not needed.Anyhow the obligitary stop-motion end fight sequence is nothing to right home about.This film is not as good as the first one, in some respects it tries too hard to mirror Verhoven's efforts in overly violent images and plot themes yet doesn't have the same feel that the original had.Overall: 4/10.
man this movie has it all,and i don't mane that In good way.i didn't think the acting was very good in this one.i also thought a lot of the humour in it was mean spirited.and don't get me started on the story.i just found it beyond the bounds of reality even for this type of movie.maybe this movie is supposed to be absurd.if so,it succeeded.the thing about the original is it had some heart and soul to it.i didn't see any of that in this one.Peter Weller and Nancy Allen are back for this one,and they try hard,i think,but they don't have too much to work with.on paper,this movie may have looked like it would work,but i think it lost something in the translation.where the first one managed to look like it had a budget of some sort,this one,looks low budget,and not in a good way.i'm sure it's hard to tell,when you're making a movie if it will work or not so i'll give the filmmakers the benefit of the doubt.by that,i mean they probably thought they were making a good movie.some people might like it,but i just found it tedious.having said that,this movie is nowhere near the worst movie i have ever seen.it could have been so much better true,but it could have been worse.so,i'll give "RoboCop 2" 4/10.
But "RoboCop 2" takes the great ideas, imagination and characters of the original and replaces them with all the stereotypes that sequels have to offer.The beginning commercial was cute and so was the scene that follows (reminiscent of the beginning in "Guys and Dolls"!) but aside from a flash of thought here and there, this is one film that is a slow, dirty slog down into the middle of nowhere.Ideas are introduced then dropped, interesting characters from the original hardly get any screen time here, most of the new characters (Cain, Juliette Faxx) are so boring that they wouldn't hold up no matter what the movie, and then there's the tone.In the Blessed Original, Paul Verhoeven knew how to direct with the kind of attitude where if you cranked up the attitude and the sensibility of a good pulp comic, even the most repellent violence would be entertaining.
Every few years I find myself thinking if RoboCop 2 was really as bad as I remembered it being, or was I projecting my enjoyment of it's predecessor on the sequel -- then after about 2 minutes into yet another viewing, it's clear just how off the mark this film is.
Peter Weller has also complained that the film has no real 3rd act and he is right, the film begins all these plot threads about Detroit being manipulated by OCP, Murphy stalking his family, nuke addiction, political corruption, police strikes and so on - and every thread is dropped to have a machine brawl for an ending.
BLAM!"): although Kershner proved himself capable of putting together a slick, family-friendly sci-fi sequel with The Empire Strikes Back, he's clearly way out of his depth when dealing with the kind of gritty, über-violent, and wickedly satirical content that is second nature for Hollywood bad-boy Verhoeven.As one might expect, there are lots of explosions, gunfire, bloody bullet hits, and special effects on show, but Kirshner plays it all way too safe, displaying none of the excess or imagination that made the first film such an incredible experience.
When you factor in a surprisingly poor script from comic geek favourite Frank Miller, an uninspired performance from star Peter Weller that feels more like contractual obligation rather than a genuine yearning to reprise the role, a forgettable main bad guy in the form of Tom Noonan (with a bloody kid as his sidekick!), and some weak attempts at mimicking the original's wry humour, what you have is a sequel that just about satisfies on the most basic of levels (it's got guns and robots and Nancy Allen), but can only be seen as a disappointment when compared to its predecessor.5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb..
I usually dont care that much for sequels but this is one major exception it almost surpasses the original it is very under rated and that makes me mad what people say about alot of movies makes me made Well, this movie continues the story of robocop in classic robocop fashion great over kill and interesting new ways to kill criminals.
It has the level of violence as we've seen in the original movie, but the plot is very different, and that's what I liked the most about this sequel.
It's good that a sequel was made, but I think RoboCop 2 is still an average movie at best..
Noonan was decent as Cain, but was a little too "hammy" at times.Overall, RoboCop 2 is a good film, and a worthy, albeit flawed, successor to the original.
I really tried like it yesterday when l'd watched on Blu-ray,even in high definition didn't change the bad feeling about almost 16 years before,l realize that comic book style oriented in the whole picture by Kershner,children stealing a shop,bad guys stealing tin can of an old homeless woman,a child leading a gang is too much and improper to young audiences,not to mention a few appearences of Nancy Allen...anyway a strong color of neverending violence,also a hard SFX mixed with a bad ultimate Robocop angry by a new drug...it didn't work out seriously as did the first one!!Resume:First watch: 1992 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6.25.
They feel like they were there too fill up screen-time that could of gone into adding more characterisation into Murphy or Annie.The biggest problem with Robocop 2 is that it takes all the subtle clever corporate America satire from the original, and bashes It over your head until you're dizzy, which Is the difference between a good film and a bad one..
I've only remember seeing bits of this film when I was younger but I don't remember seeing this film in it's entirety and now that I have seen it in full, I think it's a OK film, it's not too bad of a sequel.The action and the special effects actually were quite good, the movie made good use of mainly animatronics and stop motion techniques which were common use for the time period this came out.Like any action film it has lots of violence, gun shooting and explosions.
From the director of Empire Strikes Back, the sequel to the 1987 classic is clearly designed to be a little more mainstream, quite it isn't a bad film, it certainly lacks the original's satire and a lot of the human element.RoboCop 2 sees the OCP corporation looking to refine the RoboCop Law Enforcement Unit with a new design, but cannot recreate the perfect blend of man and machine such as Alex Murphy.
It's a comic book with lots of money behind it, and does its job properly.Irvin Kershner did with this film the same thing he did with "The Empire Strikes Back" - He took the original movie and amped it up to eleven.See both in a row, but avoid "Robocop 3" at all costs!. |
tt0092067 | Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta | A Special StoneThe Tiger Moth, a flying pirate ship commanded by a pink-haired woman called Dola (voice: Cloris Leachman in the Disney English dub) and manned by her seven or eight grown sons, spots a larger flying ship, from which a girl looks out a window. The men in the cabin with the girl wear dark suits and dark glasses (which is odd, as its dark outside). The men seem to recognize the pirates, who have apparently been lying in wait. They attack using small four-winged chariot-like fliers called flapters, dropping from the flapters to the top of the larger ship. Once inside, the pirates run through a crowd in a spacious glass-walled cabin -- there's a party going on -- and trade gunshots with some of the dark-suited men. Dola shouts "I want that girl!"The leader of the dark suits enters the girl's cabin, and calling her Sheeta (voice: Anna Paquin), tells her to stay out of the way. He opens a suitcase that holds a transmitter and starts sending a message in Morse code. While he's occupied, Sheeta knocks him out with a wine bottle, reaches inside his jacket and from an inner pocket pulls a necklace, which she puts on. There's knocking and shouting outside the door, so she opens the window, climbs out, and clings to the side of the plane. The pirates burst into the room and recognize the unconscious man, Muska (voice: Mark Hamill). They nearly miss the girl, but one thinks to look out the window and spots her. Dola notices that she's wearing the necklace, and says "I want that crystal!"Sheeta inches over to the next window, but one of the pirates gets into the room and rushes the window; she falls. "There goes my crystal!" wails Dola. Sheeta disappears into a cloud.The opening credits show steampunk industrial scenes of mining, building flying machines, and islands floating in the sky.Sheeta falls from the clouds and hurtles toward the ground, head-first and unconscious. Her crystal lights up and she falls more slowly, turning so she's lying face-up. She seems to be asleep and falling toward a lighted town; it's still dark.On the ground, working-class folk in 19th-Century European clothes are shopping and talking. A boy (voice: James Van Der Beek) comes into a shop and asks for some meatballs for his boss. The man behind the counter, calling the boy Pazu (pronounced pot-zu), is surprised that the boy is still working at this hour.Running back to work, the boy sees something falling from the sky, realizes it's a person, and catches Sheeta as she floats down into the open shaft of a mine. From down in the hole the mine boss (voice: John Hostetter) irately calls for his dinner, and is too busy with his malfunctioning machinery to listen when Pazu tries to tell him about the girl who came down from the sky. Pazu leaves Sheeta, still sleeping, on a platform near the top of the mine shaft and goes back to work. He operates the elevator hoist by himself for the first time, bringing up a crew of miners and their haul for the day, a small cartload of coal. They complain about not finding any silver or even tin. The boss, predicting that they'll all be starving soon, asks Pazu to shut off the boiler and oil the machinery, and goes home for the night.Dola has returned to her ship, but her sons are out searching for Sheeta in their flapters. One complains there's too much cloud cover and it's too dark, but Dola won't call off the search. She tells them to call her captain, and they reply "yes, Mom," in unison.The Legend of the Castle in the SkyNext morning, Pazu wakes up at home -- he slept on the floor -- and sees Sheeta, still asleep in his bed. He climbs through a skylight to the roof and opens a window in a brick tower attached to his small wooden house, releasing some white doves. Then he climbs to the top of the tower and plays his trumpet. Pazu's house is perched on the lip of a cliff, and is part of a larger building that's mostly in ruins.The trumpet wakes Sheeta, who climbs the ladder to the roof, following the music. Pazu shakes her hand and introduces himself, then gives her some food to feed the doves. She's surprised to hear from Pazu that he found her floating in the air; she remembers being in an airship, but nothing more. Pazu has a theory about how she can float; he asks to see her necklace. She hands it to him and says her grandmother gave it to her and it's been in her family for generations. The crystal is blue with a gold symbol. Pazu puts on the necklace and jumps off the roof. He doesn't float. Sheeta finds him in a hole; he's broken through a terrace into his own basement. The room is set up as a workshop, with the wooden framework of a plane in the middle of the floor. When Pazu goes back upstairs to see to breakfast, Sheeta notices a photograph on the wall that looks like an island or a fortress surrounded by clouds. Its captioned "Laputa."Pazu finds her looking at the picture and says his father, who loved to fly, took it from an airship. He explains that most people think Laputa, the island that floats in the sky, is a legend. There's also a picture of Pazu's father's airship, and his journal, with drawings of the castle on the floating island. But nobody believed he'd seen it, and Pazu thinks that being called a liar killed his father. He says that as soon as he finishes building his plane, he'll prove that Laputa is real.Beware of the PiratesSheeta sees a car pull up outside, and Dola looks out. Sheeta backs away from the window while Pazu exclaims "a real automobile! You don't see many of those around here!" Sheeta says the people in the car are pirates, and they attacked her airship. The pirates are much better dressed than they were the night before and look quite respectable, but Pazu immediately accepts that they're pirates and they're after Sheeta.When the pirates come to the door, Pazu runs out, accompanied, apparently, by another boy. He stops when asked if he's seen a girl and says "there are about 100 little girls in this town -- which one?" He and Sheeta run off as the second pirate, who went around and got in the back of the house, comes out holding Sheeta's bluish-purple dress and saying she must be in disguise now.On the village street, a pair of pirates in white suits are asking Pazu's boss about a little girl in pigtails and a purple dress. When he says he hasn't seen her, Pazu can be heard in the distance shouting "Boss! Boss!" As Pazu and Sheeta come running up the street, the pirate Shalulu (voice: Michael McShane) urges the boss to think harder, saying "she would be about the age of those two." Sheeta trips and falls, dislodging her borrowed cap and exposing her pigtails. The pirates try to grab her but Pazu and Sheeta take refuge behind the boss; Pazu tells him the men are pirates and they're after Sheeta. Pazu's boss turns out to be standing outside his own front door. As the pirates approach and threaten the boss, Sheeta, then Pazu are pulled inside and told by the boss's wife to run out the back door.Meanwhile at the front door, Shalulu, the beefiest pirate, tries to intimidate the boss by flexing his muscles and bursting out of his shirt. A crowd gathers, and the boss, who's pretty beefy himself, bursts his own buttons. His wife looks over his shoulder, frying pan at the ready, and remarks that she's not going to mend his now-shredded shirt. The two men fight. Soon the villagers in the street take exception to the other pirates' heckling and the fight become a melee.The car pulls up to the edge of a cliff, from which Dola and a couple more pirates can see the village street. "Leave it to my little idiots to start a riot," she says. Then she spots Sheeta and Pazu running toward the railroad tracks. The kids jump on a moving train, tell the engineer (voice: Matt K. Miller) the Dola gang is after Sheeta, and ask to be dropped off at the police station in the next town. The engineer, who knows Pazu, asks no questions; all he says is "help me stoke up the engine."Dola drives through the village to extract Shalulu and his party of pugilists, who are astonished to hear that Sheeta has escaped. The villagers chase the car and throw things as it drives off; Dola throws them a hand grenade "to remember us by."The engineer spots the pirates' car approaching the moving train; he says the engine is old and can't go any faster. Dola drives the car onto the tracks and draws closer to the train in a hair-raising chase over rickety trestles. When they catch up, Pazu releases the empty cars behind the engine and the train pulls away, but the pirates' car is moving so fast it pushes the loose cars ahead of it and they quickly catch up with the laboring engine. Pazu cranks up the brakes on the lead car and it slows down, separating the pirates from the engine before they can grab Sheeta. As Pazu waves good-bye from the engine, Dola, sounding like the Wicked Witch of the West, says "you'll get yours!"The pirates heave a train car off the tracks, but pause as they're trying to jettison the second one because Dola notices a military spy plane, which she thinks is Muska.Meanwhile, the engineer stops because there's an army engine coming toward him. He cheerfully says "it's the army to the rescue!" and asks for help for the kids, but Sheeta quickly realizes that the men coming from the military engine look just like the ones who were working with Muska. She says "good-bye, Pazu," and takes off, bad guys in pursuit. Pazu trips them before running after Sheeta. The quick-witted engineer scalds the bad guys with his steam-powered brakes when they try to shoot the fleeing kids.The kids almost immediately see the Dola gang coming at them; they're still on a trestle, but Sheeta runs down a siding, telling Pazu not to follow her or he'll get hurt. The Dola gang catches up to them, destroying the trestle as they approach. Pazu and Sheeta jump off and dangle precariously as the gang's train car passes over them. Dola watches Sheeta and Pazu fall toward the town below and then, with a flash of light, they float back up as Sheeta's crystal saves them.Pazu tells Sheeta, "this is what happened the first time I saw you -- I knew there was something special about that necklace." Dola isn't surprised and tells her sons, "it's the power of the crystal." The soldiers from the armored train can see the kids too. They float gently down into a mineshaft.The pirates go after them, while overhead, the spy plane watches.Lost in the MineSheeta's crystal, which has been glowing, goes dark when they land at the bottom of the shaft, but Pazu has a lantern. They walk for a bit in the old mine, then sit down to eat. (Pazu is still carrying the fried egg on toast he made for breakfast.) Asked where she's from, Sheeta says "I come from Gondoa, deep in the northern mountains." After her parents died, she cared for their farm animals until some men came and took her away -- the same men in dark glasses who are now pursuing her.Pazu realizes that the men and Dola are both after the crystal, which Sheeta didn't realize was so powerful. She says her mother gave it to her before she died, and told her never to show it or give it away to anyone. Pazu says "we orphans should stick together." Sheeta apologizes for getting him mixed up in her problems, but Pazu isn't sorry at all: "this is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me!"The children are frightened when they hear someone approaching, but it's an old miner friend of Pazu's, Uncle Pom (voice: Richard Dysart). They tell him there are pirates chasing them and the army is right behind the pirates, and Uncle Pom thinks that sounds splendid. He takes them to his camp by an underground lake and gives them tea. He says that the rocks speak to him, and they've been restless since last night. Then he blows out the lamp, leaving them in the silent darkness.It doesn't stay dark long. Soon crystals on the floor, ceiling, and walls around them start to glow. Pazu wonders what's doing that, and Uncle Pom cracks open a rock to show him; it briefly glows. He says "it's a long-forgotten element called aetherium. People no longer know how to mine aetherium." Sheeta pulls out her crystal, which is glowing. The old man says "that's a pure aetherium crystal!" Pom tells them such crystals haven't existed since his great-grandfather's time; according to legend, only the people of the floating city of Laputa knew how to make them. It's aetherium that makes Laputa float. After a few minutes Uncle Pom is overcome and asks Sheeta to put the crystal away -- "it's speaking too loudly to me, too sadly."Uncle Pom's great-grandfather told him that the rocks become restless when Laputa appears over the mine. He tells Sheeta that the crystal's power comes from the earth, and to use it selfishly will bring great unhappiness.Outside, the military spy plane flies off and the disheveled pirates, who are peeking out of the mine, ask Dola if they can go back to the ship. She says it's too quiet; they decide to sit tight.The kids say goodbye to Uncle Pom at another entrance to the mine.CapturedOnce outdoors, Pazu and Sheeta climb a steep hill and stop to admire a huge cloud. Pazu is sure the cloud is hiding Laputa. Sheeta says she hasn't told him the traditional name her family gave her: Lusheeta Toel Ul Laputa. While they're talking, a plane spots them and lands nearby; they're captured by army men in green uniforms and a man in a dark suit and dark glasses, who knocks Pazu out with the butt of his pistol. Muska disembarks from the plane and growls "and about time!" when told they've been captured.Pazu comes to in a bare cell in a coastal fortress. He hears soldiers drilling outside his arrow-slit window, but can't see them.In a room above, Muska tells a portly general (voice: Jim Cummings) that they'll get what they want, but it will take time. The general responds that they're wasting time; Muska should twist an arm or two and the girl will talk. Muska says military tactics risk wasting more time. The general says military tactics would have saved them from Dola's interference, but Muska replies, "it was a military transmission that the pirates decoded." He says the general's job is to mobilize the troops when the time comes. The general says he's in charge of finding Laputa; Muska counters that as the government's secret agent, he's in charge of the general.Sheeta huddles on a window seat in a sunny tower room. Muska walks in and picks up a dress, remarking that it's fit for a princess. Sheeta asks if Pazu's all right and asks to see him. "Your friend is being treated as if he were the guest of royalty," he says.He takes her down in an elevator to show her a battered, broken giant robot. "Laputa was just a legend until this dropped from the sky." Muska explains that his job is to figure out the robot's -- Laputa's -- secrets. He points out a small red shield on the robot's chest; it bears the same symbol as Sheeta's crystal. He needs her help to get the crystal to lead them to Laputa. Sheeta tells him to keep the crystal and take Laputa's treasures for himself. Muska, trying to convince her that it's not about the money, says Laputa used to dominate the world, and it's still dangerous. And the stone only works for her. Sheeta just wants to see Pazu. Muska says if she'll cooperate, she can help free Pazu. If she won't, he can't control what the military might do to him. Then Muska calls her by her real name, Lusheeta Toel Ul Laputa. "Toel means ruler in Laputian; Ul means true. You are the legitimate heir to the throne of Laputa, Princess Lusheeta." Sheeta is stunned.A Broken PromisePazu, meanwhile, is climbing the walls of his cell when a soldier comes to let him out to see Sheeta and Muska. Muska says there's been a misunderstanding; they had no idea how bravely he fought to defend Sheeta from the pirates. Pazu is confused, and still more confused when Sheeta tells him to forget about Laputa. Muska says Sheeta has agreed to help the army search (secretly) for Laputa, and Pazu really should forget about it. Pazu objects, but Sheeta leaves. Muska gives Pazu several gold coins "to show our appreciation of your efforts." Pazu walks out of the fortress. As Sheeta watches him go from her window, Muska fastens the crystal around her neck and tells her to remember the words that bring the crystal to life. "Keep your promise and you too will be free."In the mining village, it's evening. A small child with a broom chases a pig out of her house. She see Pazu walking slowly up the street and calls her mother, the boss's wife, who comes out to say they've all been worried, and where has he been and what happened to his friend? Pazu only says "it's over now," and runs off. He comes to his own front door and finds the pirates making themselves at home. They discover the gold in his pocket and accuse him of selling Sheeta out; he replies that he only left because Sheeta told him to. "So you believed her and you came back here?" sneers Dola. Dola suggests that the army forced Sheeta to make a deal to save Pazu's life, and they're not likely to keep Sheeta alive once they get what they want.A telegraph receiver on the table comes to life. Dola translates the Morse code: "They're calling for air destroyer Goliath. They're about to take off with Sheeta. We've got to hurry or it will be too late!"Pazu begs to come with them. Dola agrees, thinking he'll be useful in getting Sheeta to cooperate. He grabs his father's aviator headgear, complete with goggles, and opens the dovecote so his birds can get out and feed themselves while he's gone. The pirates take off in their flapters, Pazu riding with Dola.The huge airship Goliath arrives at the fortress as Muska and the general watch. The general asks if the girl has surrendered the information yet; Muska says it will take a little more time. The general says they'll have plenty of time aboard Goliath, and they'll depart at first light.The RescueThe pirates buzz through the night in their flapters. Dola urges them to hurry as they have to get there before sun-up. Pazu thinks of Sheeta.Sheeta's looking out at the night and remembering a time when her grandmother taught her a spell that would help her if she was ever in trouble. Sheeta learned the words in Laputian; in English, they mean "Save me and revive the eternal light." She recites the Laputian, and her crystal lights up and emits so much energy that she cries out in distress and tries to cover her eyes. Far below, the robot is activated and its broken parts move together. Muska comes into her room, saying "the sacred light! The ancient documents were true -- it's not just a legend!"He reaches for the glowing crystal but it seems to hurt him. He pulls his hand back but demands that she tell him the spell. The soldiers guarding the robot think they hear something and open its door, which it blocks when they try to close it again. They get on the phone to say the robot is alive. It bursts out of its prison; at the same moment, the crystal goes dark. When Sheeta and Muska come out of her room, they see the robot climbing the stairs toward them. The soldiers shoot at it, doing no damage, then shut the fire door at the top of the stairs. The robot melts it. Muska is amazed at the robot's power. He realizes the crystal has brought it to life. The robot uses a laser to cut the wooden walkway where Muska, Sheeta, and others are standing; the pieces separate, leaving Sheeta alone on one side. The robot unfurls its wings, flies up the inside of the tower, and follows the terrified Sheeta up the stairs at the top. On the roof of the tower, her crystal flashes again and points through the clouds -- at Laputa, she and Muska both believe, but we can't see it. The robot breaks through the roof of the tower as the soldiers bring their artillery to bear on it. The robot communes with the crystal for a moment before it's hit by a shell and falls. The soldiers try to revive Sheeta, who groans, and then the robot comes back to life. It picks her up and starts shooting with its laser eye. It does a lot of damage to the fortress, leaving much of it in flames, and starts setting fire to the surrounding countryside.From their flapters, the pirates see the fortress lit up in the distance. The sun is beginning to rise. When Sheeta comes to, she tells the robot to stop, climbing up to sit on its shoulder. But by then everything around them is burning.Pazu has spotted them, though, and directs Dola to the top of the tower. In trying to get close enough to grab her, they clip the tower; Dola is knocked out and the flapter plummets toward the water below until, at the last moment, Pazu gets to the controls and pulls out of the dive. Dola recovers and they make another attempt to get Sheeta. The robot, which seems to be in some kind of trouble itself -- burning out from within -- has put Sheeta on the battlements of the tower. Muska sees what they're up to just as Pazu, hanging upside-down from the flapter, grabs Sheeta. "It's not over," Muska promises himself as the pirates fly off.An Adventurous TripAs the general expresses his anger over the loss of Sheeta and the robot and orders a pursuit, one of Muska's men draws Muska away: "I think we may have found what you've been looking for." Muska finds Sheeta's crystal on the ground near the tower, still pointing to Laputa. He's able to pick it up. He sends a message to the general that they'll be departing on time.Sheeta cries on Pazu's shoulder as the pirates fly them toward Pazu's home. Dola is annoyed because Sheeta lost the crystal. Pazu asks if they can sail with the pirates. They say they'll work, and Sheeta says she needs to find out about Laputa for herself. They fly over Pazu's house but keep going and rejoin the pirates' airship, the Tiger Moth. One of Dolas sons takes Pazu to the engine room and introduces Pazu to his father, a short bald man with a huge mustache. He's the ship's engineer, and he needs an assistant. Pazu immediately shows his mechanical ability. After conferring with Sheeta about the location of Laputa, Dola announces that Goliath is heading for Laputa and they're going after her. The first to spot Laputa will get 10 gold coins.Dola takes Sheeta in hand, telling her she has to start talking like a pirate (Sheeta's "shiver me timbers" is not convincing) and dressing like a pirate (Dola gives her an enormous pair of pink pants). And Sheeta has to clean up the filthy galley (which is piled high with dirty dishes, pots, and pans) so she can start producing the five meals a day the hungry pirates require. Dola gives her an hour. When Dola opens the galley door, most of her sons fall into the room -- they've been outside listening.Later, as Pazu hangs on the hull of the airship hammering at something, one of Dola's sons peers through the galley porthole at Sheeta, who's making soup. He goes in and offers to help. It turns out that several of his brothers are already there with the same idea.In the captain's quarters, Dola and her husband are playing chess. He remarks that its not usual for her to challenge a ship like Goliath. He says the kids are cute, and the little girl reminds him of Dola. Cut to the crew, eating hungrily and asking Sheeta for seconds.That night, one of the sons comes to wake Pazu, who's sleeping on the floor under some bunks; its Pazu's turn to stand watch. The pirate gives Pazu a brown poncho, remarking that it's cold, and sends him up the ladder on the outside of the ship to the crow's nest at the top of the hull. Sheeta, who's been sleeping on Dola's floor, gets up and follows him. She's almost blown away as she climbs into the crow's nest. They talk a bit and Pazu throws the poncho over her, so they're both in it at once. Dola is awake and can hear them through a speaking tube. Sheeta confesses that she's afraid of going to Laputa; she doesn't want anyone else to get hurt. She feels awful about the robot, which died to save her. As Dola listens, Sheeta talks about the spells her grandmother taught her -- not just the one that revived the robot, but a spell to find things, a spell to cure sickness, and a spell of destruction, which her grandmother told her never to use. (To give power to good spells, she had to know evil ones too.) But she never knew the spells were connected to her necklace. She worries that Laputa has the same power as the necklace, and poses the same danger if the power is misused.Pazu argues that even if she'd thrown the crystal away and they'd never met, sooner or later someone would have managed to land on Laputa and claim it. They can't let it fall into the hands of people like Muska. If they run away, Muska will chase them forever. Sheeta feels bad that Pazu is becoming a pirate; he says he isn't going to become a pirate, and Dola will understand -- "she's much nicer than she pretends to be." He promises that after they find Laputa, they'll go to Gondoa and see her old home. Then they spot Goliath, a shadow in the clouds beneath them, and raise the alarm.Something's WrongDola orders a change of course, but Goliath breaks through the clouds and starts shooting at them. Tiger Moth quickly descends into the cloud layer; they get away without much damage, and Goliath doesn't pursue.On Goliath's bridge, the general argues for chasing the Tiger Moth. Colonel Muska won't let him, saying it's a waste of energy. He has Sheeta's crystal on the compass, still directing him to Laputa.On Tiger Moth's bridge, Dola calls up to Pazu through the speaking tube. She says they can't lose Goliath, so Pazu must keep her in sight. To do that, he'll have to release the crow's nest from its moorings on the hull; it remains attached by a cable and flies like a kite. She explains how to release it and open the wings, then tells Sheeta to come down because flying the kite is man's work. Sheeta points out that Dola is female, and that she, Sheeta, grew up in the mountains, and she can handle this. Dola, laughing, gives in and says once they take off they'll need to use the phone to communicate. Dola's phone immediately rings; when she picks it up, Sheeta's voice says "you mean this phone?"Pazu releases the kite. The ride is peaceful except when the wind gusts. They can't see Goliath, but Pazu does see a storm coming. As a precaution against the storm, Pazu tells Sheeta to get rope out of his bag and tie them together. On the bridge, the pirates note that the mercury is dropping fast and it's an hour to sunrise. When the sun comes up, Pazu and Sheeta notice that it's in the wrong place -- or more accurately, they're flying in the wrong direction: east, not north. The bridge reports that something is confusing the compass, which is pointing east. Sheeta sees the cloud that covers Laputa, heading right for them. Dola, realizing it's also a hurricane, orders the engines to reverse, but the Tiger Moth is already caught in the winds. When Goliath appears above them, they're sitting ducks.Pazu and Sheeta in the kite and Muska aboard Goliath are determined to get through the storm to Laputa. The kite passes through an electrical field into a weird zone where for a moment Pazu catches site of a familiar ghostly airship, and recognizes the pilot -- his father. Then they break into relatively clear air over Laputa. They're still trailing their cable, but its not attached to the Tiger Moth any more. It drags among the vegetation on Laputa, slowing them down so they come to a softer landing than they might otherwise have done, but it's not gentle. Pazu and Sheeta are knocked out when they land and fall out of the kite.The Wonder of a New PlaceAs they lie there, the fog and clouds disperse. They come to on a sunny, flowery lawn at the top of a tower, still tied together. Thrilled at finally being on Laputa, they laugh and hug each other and twirl exuberantly. They can see old stone structures that look a little the worse for wear, and a huge tree that seems to be the center of the island. A giant robot shows up and picks up their kite. Sheeta thinks it can't know who she is as she doesn't have the aetherium crystal, but she asks it not to take the kite as they need it to get home. The robot pauses and seems to register her remarks, but moves the kite anyway. There's a bird's nest underneath it, holding three eggs. The robot puts the kite down nearby and flashes and burbles at them, which Sheeta understands to mean they should follow. The robot leads them across a bridge, where they see some small animals dive into an ornamental pool. But when they peer into the water, they can see a city down there. The robot is still walking. They run to catch up; it leads them to an enormous garden. The garden is enclosed in nearly invisible walls; at the center is a giant tree that Pazu guesses is a thousand years old. There's some stonework scattered around, and some inside the tree. They see another robot and realize it's not the one they followed; this one is dead and seems to have been frozen in place for a very long time. Looking more closely at the roots of the tree, then can see that they're littered with dead, moss-covered robots.On a flat stone that looks like a grave marker, someone has laid a row of pink flowers. Their robot comes back holding another pink flower, which Sheeta takes with thanks. Some striped animals that look like a cross between cats and squirrels appear on the robot's shoulders and chase each other around its neck. The robot looks at them and goes about its business. The kids think it's probably the only working robot left.In the underground part of the city, a detonator triggers an explosion. It disturbs birds and is followed by several smaller explosions -- or aftershocks. Pazu and Sheeta run off to find the source of the disturbance. They find a section of the city that's been destroyed -- Pazu attributes that to the army.The InvasionSheeta and Pazu spot Goliath, moored at the edge of a large plaza and disgorging crowds of soldiers from two gangplanks. Beside it are the ruins of the Tiger Moth. Sheeta worries about Dola and the boys; Pazu sees that they've been captured. They know the pirates will be hanged if they can't help them escape.
A soldier brings the general a heavy, jeweled necklace; he reports they've broken through the wall and the city is full of treasure. The general taunts the pirates with the necklace and tells Muska to send a radio message about their discovery of the city, adding snidely, "see if you can make it difficult to decode." He runs off to keep his underlings from pocketing any jewels, and Muska smugly observes that the jewels have thrown "those fools off the scent."Pazu has a plan. He and Sheeta climb down the roots of the giant tree toward Goliath. They peer through a high window into a huge chamber where soldiers are rushing to and fro, grabbing treasure and taking it outside. But there's shooting going on as the looters work. Some other soldiers break through a door, enter the chamber, and fight with the looters. Sheeta says they can't let the soldiers ruin the garden too. Pazu says they have to find the aetherium crystal to protect the garden, then notes that all the storm clouds around Laputa have disappeared. If that hadn't happened, the army wouldn't have been able to land. Pazu thinks they used Sheeta's crystal to dispel the storm, and resolves to prevent Muska from learning to use the crystal. Sheeta realizes that the spell of destruction might be the only way to do that. Just then they hear soldiers nearby, looking for them. They sneak off among the tree-roots.The kids climb down near the Tiger Moth, staying out of sight as much as they can. At the broken foot of an arcade below the plaza where the ruined Tiger Moth and her crew are being held, Pazu has to jump from one pier to the next. But the pier he jumps to crumbles as he climbs. While he struggles to hang on, Muska and two of his men emerge on the walkway Sheeta and Pazu were on a minute before; they're looking for a door. Sheeta is just a few yards away hiding in a niche, and Pazu is in full view behind the men, trying to reach a window. Muska, consulting a little blue book, finds the hidden door and uses Sheeta's crystal to open it. They turn around when they hear Pazu knocking loose another chunk of masonry and one of Muska's henchmen takes a shot at him as he reaches the window. Sheeta rushes them, knocks one over, and tries to run, but Muska catches her by a pigtail. Pazu, too far away to help, shouts at them not to hurt Sheeta. The henchmen shoot again and a bullet grazes Pazu's cheek; he disappears inside as the soldiers on the plaza above him look down. Muska tells them he's caught another pirate, and there's one more under their feet. Pazu shouts to Sheeta that he'll find her. Muska and his party go through the secret door with Sheeta in tow; the opening disappears behind them.The soldiers above Pazu throw a hand grenade through his window; when it goes off, the smoke comes up through the paving stones the pirates are sitting on. Dola pushes a brick down into the hollow space below her. When the soldiers run off, Pazu looks up through the hole. He says he's going to rescue Sheeta, but first he cuts Dola's ropes first and passes her his knife. In return, Dola shakes a large, wide-mouthed handgun and a couple of shells out of her pant leg, so Pazu is armed. In the treasure chamber, the general's men report that Muska destroyed all the radios, and that Muska and his two men were seen heading for the black dome (an inverted dome under the island that presumably houses the tech keeping it afloat). The general orders his men to arrest Colonel Muska. Pazu watches them march off.Muska, Sheeta, and Muska's two henchmen descend into the black dome on an elevator platform. They pass through a shaft made of black stone blocks carved with geometric designs. When they reach the bottom, Muska leaves his protesting men behind, saying only royalty is allowed to enter the central chamber. He and Sheeta descend a little further and enter a chamber that's been infiltrated by tree roots. Muska is angry, saying the roots don't belong there and he'll have them burned. He checks his little blue book again and directs Sheeta down a corridor, also lined with tree roots. Muska pulls some roots aside to expose a door, which glows and opens when he holds the crystal against it. Inside is a bright sort of garden, walled with tree roots, lit by a glowing ball of tree roots at the center, and full of tall plants that reach Muska's shoulders. He's furious at finding more roots and plants here. He pushes through the roots surrounding the glow in the center and reveals a large, blue rotating octahedron. He exults that at last he's found the largest aetherium crystal ever -- Laputa's power source.Muska says the stone has been awaiting the return of its king for 700 years. Looking at his book again, he wades through the plants and finds a slant-topped black stone like a podium, with writing on the slanted surface. Batting aside a cloud of gnats, Muska checks the black stone's inscription against his book and says they're the same. Sheeta asks him who he is, and he says he, too, has an old, secret name: Romska Polo Ul Laputa. He says he and Sheeta share royal ancestors, but their ancestors left Laputa to live on Earth, which Muska considers a mistake.As Pazu clings to a tree root on the outer surface of the black dome, there's an explosion. The soldiers who set off the explosion run to the site of the blast -- they seem to be trying to open Muska's hidden door -- and find that the stone is singed but undamaged. The general is ordering them to try again using all the dynamite they have when Muska's voice over a PA system says there's no need to do that; they may come in. Muska moves Sheeta's crystal over the surface of the black podium stone. Some symbols light up and the big carved black blocks in the central shaft move out of the walls of their own accord and rearrange themselves. Muska's two men, who have been trying to climb out, are knocked loose. They scream and fall. The black dome rumbles and shakes, then starts to open. The vine Pazu is clinging to breaks loose at the top and he falls with it, hollering. It swings and he's able to grab another vine that's still attached. A panel opens above him and a huge stone column that looks like a jet emerges; we can see that there are seven of them arranged in a circle near the bottom of the black dome. Pazu scrambles away.The general and his soldiers are invited to walk through a door Muska has caused to open for them. They still can't see him. A room like a viewing platform opens at the bottom of the dome and the general and the soldiers go in. Pazu can see what's happening from the outside. Muska projects images of himself and Sheeta into the room and announces to the soldiers that they're in the presence of the king of Laputa. He demonstrates the power of the reborn kingdom of Laputa by creating a sort of bomb with the seven giant jets and dropping it through the clouds. They can't see where it falls, but they see the top of its fiery mushroom cloud. "The fire of heaven that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in the Old Testament!" gloats Muska. "The Rhamaniya referred to it as Indra's Arrow. The entire world will once again kneel before the power of Laputa!"The general changes his tone: "Well done, Muska! You're a credit to our country. As such, you deserve this reward!"He shoots at the projection of Muska, which has no effect except to make Muska sneer at his stupidity. Muska reaches for the black stone; Sheeta bites his hand and tells them to run. Some do, but the general and many soldiers are still standing there when the floor is pulled out from under them. As they fall, Muska laughs and his projection disappears into the ceiling.Surviving soldiers run through corridors in the dome. They pass giant robots coming to life and emerging on all fours from niches in the walls. When the robots get outside, the pirates spot them and decide to run for it in their flapters, which are undamaged inside the wreck of the Tiger Moth. The soldiers are rushing back aboard Goliath, but it pulls away before everyone has boarded, sending those on the gangplanks to their deaths.Once her crew is aboard the flapters, Dola is reluctant to leave without Pazu and Sheeta. In the aetherium crystal's garden chamber, Muska throws Sheeta to the ground and tells her she'd better be gracious to the new king, as she'll be spending a lot of time with him. He uses the black podium to call up an image of Goliath, which is shooting at Laputa. He scoffs that the fools don't understand that it's useless to fight him.Goliath's artillery knocks Pazu from his vine on the underside of the dome. He gets a toehold at the lip of a chute that disgorges a stream of flying robots, which attack Goliath. Once the robots are away, Pazu takes off his shoes and climbs up the chute. At the top of the chute he finds a space filled with gears and other mechanisms; he keeps climbing and shouts for Sheeta.Outside, the robots are destroying Goliath; Muska watches and gloats while Sheeta tells him to leave Goliath alone. She gets loose (her hands have been tied since Muska caught her at the secret door) and rushes Muska, demanding her crystal. She grabs it and runs. She pounds on the door of the garden chamber while Muska strolls over, telling her to be good and give the crystal back. The door disappears before he reaches her -- her crystal lights up -- and she runs again. Muska, still unconcerned and unhurried, continues to follow her. He tells her that no one can hear her, and only he can help her.Pazu uses Dola's gun to make a hole in a wall. He scrambles through and runs, still shouting for Sheeta. Finally Sheeta hears him and runs toward his voice. Just before Muska catches up, Sheeta passes her crystal to Pazu through a tiny opening; she tells Pazu to throw it in the ocean. Muska has a revolver. He tries to shoot Pazu through the chink, then warns him to protect the crystal if he wants to see the girl alive. Pazu blasts a bigger hole in the wall, crawls through, and runs after them.RedemptionSheeta runs into an empty room; Muska follows and shoots. She drops and he tells her to get up, which she does. "How appropriate that we've ended up in the throne room," he remarks.Facing him across the floor, Sheeta answers that it's no longer a throne room -- now it's their tomb. A king without compassion does not deserve a kingdom, she tells him. She recites the words to a song from her home valley of Gondoa: "Take root in the ground, live in harmony with the wind, plant your seeds in the winter, and rejoice with the birds in the coming of spring." No matter how many weapons you have, the world cannot live without love. He aims at her again and shoots off one of her pigtails; she barely flinches. He insists that he'll return Laputa to life, that its power is the dream of all mankind. He shoots off her other pigtail and says "your ears are next unless you get on your knees and obey me. Give me that stone!"Pazu arrives and tells Muska he's hidden the stone. Muska says he'll kill Sheeta if Pazu doesn't produce the stone. Pazu responds that Muska can have the stone if Pazu can talk to Sheeta. Throughout this exchange, Sheeta implores Pazu to take the stone and run. Muska gives them a minute to decide what to do. Pazu embraces Sheeta and asks her to whisper the spell of destruction in his ear so they can say it together. "Put your hand in mine and trust me," he says, showing her the crystal in his hand. He tells her Dola and the boys are free, so she doesn't need to worry about them. When Muska says their time is up, Pazu throws down his gun. They hold out their clasped hands and say a single word, "Balus."The big crystal flashes, as does the small one in their hands, dazzling them and Muska, who screams. The big crystal falls, breaking through its enclosure, and Laputa begins to disintegrate. Muska, blinded, stumbles around screaming "no!" The pirates finally shove off in their flapters but hover nearby to watch Laputa fall apart. Under the island, it rains masonry and broken robots. Dola realizes Sheeta and Pazu used the spell of destruction to save Laputa from Muska.One of the pirates sees a blue light among the roots of Laputa's central tree. The spell doesn't seem to affect the central tree and the structure most closely attached to it (the garden?) -- or the giant aetherium crystal. Once it has shed the black dome and most of the buildings, the tree floats off, the pale blue crystal glowing through its roots.Sheeta wakes up among the roots of the tree with Pazu. Sheeta says they survived because they protected the tree, and it protected them in return. They find their kite, which looks intact. They climb aboard and take a last flight around Laputa. They see the last robot still tending the garden.When they leave Laputa behind, the kids soon encounter the convoy of pirates in their overloaded flapters. The pirates are overjoyed to see them alive. Dola's husband, the Tiger Moth's engineer, mourns the loss of their airship, and Dola, calling him a big baby, promises to buy him another one. Which it turns out they can easily afford -- every pirate shows off jewelry worth a fortune. Pazu and Sheeta don't stay with the pirates, though; they get back in the kite and fly off into the clouds together. Perhaps they're heading north, for Gondoa. | fantasy, whimsical, cult, flashback, psychedelic, suspenseful, entertaining, sci-fi | train | imdb | null |
tt0184894 | Shanghai Noon | In 1881, Chon Wang (pronounced as John Wayne) played by Chan is a Chinese Imperial Guard in the Forbidden City. After Princess Pei-Pei (Liu) for whom Wang has affection, is abducted and taken to the United States, the Emperor of China sends three of his guards along with the Royal Interpreter to retrieve her. Wang is not one of the three, but he tells the Captain of the Imperial Guards that it was his fault the princess was kidnapped and insists on joining them. The Captain first refuses, but when the Royal Interpreter, Wang's uncle, offers to allow Wang to come help with the baggage, the Captain agrees in the hopes that the "foreign devils" would get rid of Wang. In Nevada, Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) is an outlaw who, with his gang, hijacks the train Wang is on. When Wallace, a new member of Roy's gang, kills Wang's uncle, Wang chases the outlaws down. However, the gang is well-armed and Wang's only choice is to unhinge the cars and get away on the engine. In the process, Wallace takes over the gang from Roy, and they leave him buried up to his chin in the desert sand. Meanwhile, Pei-Pei, who was tricked into believing she was freely escaping her arranged marriage in China, finds out she has been kidnapped by an agent of Lo Fong, who ran away from the Forbidden City and was viewed as a traitor by the Chinese.
When Wang finds Roy buried in the sand, he demands to know the direction to Carson City. Roy tells him that the city is on the other side of a mountain. Wang puts two chop sticks in Roy's mouth for him to dig himself out. When Wang comes out the other side of the mountain, he gets involved with a Sioux tribe by saving a boy chased by the Crow tribe and ends up reluctantly marrying the tribe chief's daughter, Falling Leaves. Wang finds a small town in the area, where he encounters Roy in a tavern. He confronts him, and ends up starting a fight with him that turns into a barroom brawl. The two of them get sent to jail, and after Falling Leaves helps them escape, they become friends. Roy trains Wang in the ways of the cowboy.
When they get to Carson City, Roy discovers that both he and Wang, now identified as the "Shanghai Kid" are wanted by Lo Fong's ally Marshal Nathan Van Cleef, and the two of them narrowly escape. They go to a bordello (which Roy describes as his "hideout"), but after a drunken encounter by Wang, the Marshal eventually catches and arrests them. They find out that Lo Fong is behind the kidnapping of the princess. As they are about to be hanged, Wang manages to break himself free and after Falling Leaves shoots Roy loose, they escape the execution site. Wang, upset over Roy previously telling one of the prostitutes at the bordello he was not Wang's friend, rides off alone to find the princess. When he finds her in Lo Fong's labour camp, she tells him that she does not wish to return to China. Fong finds out about Wang and attacks him. However, Roy, who has followed Wang, saves him from Fong and the two reunite.
The next day, the two partners go to the ransom point, the Carson City Mission church. The three imperial guards arrive with the gold, and Lo Fong has the princess in hand. However, a simple exchange becomes complicated when Wang shows up and Roy points a gun towards Fong. Wang tells his fellow guards that he will not allow them to bring the princess back to China. As the Chinese and Lo Fong fight amongst themselves, Van Cleef arrives and engages Roy in a gunfight. After Roy is limited to one remaining bullet, Van Cleef simultaneously fires both of his guns but Roy (unscathed due to all of Van Cleef's shots missing him and going through the priest's robe he wore for a disguise) shoots him in the heart, through his sheriff's star. Wang fights the Imperial Guards whilst Lo Fong chases Pei-Pei through the rafters of the church, but eventually the Guards allow Wang to go to her aid instead. Wang fights Lo Fong to the bell tower, and Pei-Pei is wounded in the fight. Wang ultimately kills Lo Fong by dismantling the bell, causing it to hang him. After the fight, the Imperial Guards agree to let Pei-Pei remain in Nevada to help the enslaved Chinese people.
Wallace and his gang also come up to the church, and demand that Roy and Wang come out and fight. But when the two of them get outside the church to face Wallace, Natives from all around surround the gang. At a Chinese cultural celebration Roy thanks Falling Leaves for saving him and they engage in a passionate kiss. At the same time, Pei-Pei holds a smiling Wang's hand. In the final scene, Roy (who reveals his real name to be Wyatt Earp) and Wang are shown as sheriffs and ride off to catch a new band of train robbers. | entertaining, violence, fantasy, murder, bleak | train | wikipedia | Great fun!Jackie Chan brings his brand of physical comedy to Hollywood with another buddy movie.
Similar to his "Rush Hour" series with Chris Tucker, Chan sets this one in the American old west and chooses Owen Wilson as his partner.I like these better than the Rush Hours.
Tucker and Owen are both excellent playing opposite Chan in both series, but the Shanghai series seems to offer Jackie better venues for his elaborate fight sequences.
A successful Jackie Chan movie seems to contain a comedy-oriented story, a lightly delivered moral message, and lots of action.
It also introduced a much wider English- speaking audience to the charm and talents of Asian star Jackie Chan, who now is well-known everywhere, even if he is getting up in age.This is considered one of Chan's better films and the setting certainly is different than normal for him: the American Old West.
Wilson is as impressive an actor as he is a writer--he shares writing credits on such films as "Rushmore" and "The Royal Tenenbaums."Chan, on the other hand, is a better martial arts master than Jet Li and a more likable character actor than Chow Yun Fat (whose disastrous film "Bulletproof Monk" made me want to split his head open to prevent him from ever making another American mainstream motion picture ever again).In "Shanghai Noon," Chan plays Chon Wang, a 19th century Chinese martial arts master who ventures out to Nevada in order to rescue the kidnapped Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu), whose name is misused by Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) on at last one occasion.After Chon Wang (mistakenly pronounced "John Wayne") meets up with Roy, the two decide to form an alliance and rescue the princess -- one for honor, the other for loads of money awaiting them upon her safe arrival back home in Imperial China's Forbidden City.Roy is a lousy wannabe cowboy who used to stage clumsy train robberies along with his band of thieves, who betrayed him and left him for dead.
But it succeeds due to a fine cast -- Chan and Wilson are extraordinarily good together; so good, in fact, that Chris Tucker is just a forgotten memory by the time that the film is over.It's a classic spin on the Old West formula; what "The Princess Bride" or "Shrek" did for fairy tales, "Shanghai Noon" does for Westerns.
Well, okay, he proved that in "Rush Hour" (1998), but I like this better.The jokes in "Shanghai Noon" aren't "great," but I laughed a lot at this film.
But it's certainly fun--likely more fun than any film you'll see for quite some time--and for that it will soon be earning a place in my sacred DVD collection.I must say that I wasn't a huge fan of "Shanghai Knights," the sequel to "Shanghai Noon," which involved Chon Wang and Roy O'Bannon venturing to England in order to save Wang's sister.
Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) accompanies the guards on their journey and finds himself entangled with Indians, cowboys and the greedy attentions of train robber Roy O'Brannon (Owen Wilson).This is essentially a mismatched buddy movie transferred to the American West and in that respect it is not exact an original plot, there aren't any great twists to grab you and a lot of the plot drivers are forced or predictable.
Roger Yuan and Xander Berkeley provide good baddies (Berkeley especially) but Lucy Liu is almost in her own little 'serious' movie and doesn't have much to do except be rescued (although she does show some of her "Charlie's Angels" potential in a fight scene towards the end).Overall a gentle enjoyable comedy that is made all the more enjoyable by the ease by which it succeeds at making you laugh.
'Shanghai Noon' is a western-comedy starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson.
We have the usual Jackie Chan martial art and this time it is combined with the very funny Owen Wilson talking.
The clash between far east and wild west cultures and cinematographic stereotypes is amusing enough to keep the film entertaining throughout, and Chan's own tongue-in-cheek sense of humor makes the piece that much more delightful to watch.Don't look for this one at the next Academy Awards, but then that's not what Jackie Chan is all about, is it.
Perhaps that statement is a bit of an exaggeration, but perhaps I'm on to something.The obvious natural and easy chemistry between Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson went a long way towards endearing this work into my collection.
In consideration, I have to say that...while this attempt, like his other American attempts, does not exhibit enough of that marvelous comedic fighting style we all know and love, Shanghai Noon is genuinely enchanting, action packed, earnest, and entertaining.Owen Wilson is a natural talent.
This work is a rival to other comedy/action teams, and bears a serious viewing, as I feel it is comparable to my second favorite comedy western, "Cat Ballou." In case you're interested, "Blazing Saddles" is my first.If you enjoyed this, I highly recommend the following:Jackie Chan: Mr. Nice Guy, Rumble in the Bronx, and Around the World in 80 Days (2004)Owen Wilson: Anaconda, The Haunting (1999), and the Big Bounce.
A sort of "buddy cop" pairing of Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, that makes fun of most of the western stereotypes and is a rollercoaster of adventures and laughs!
A faithful servant named Wang (Jackie Chan)follows the tracks until Nevada, along the way he teams up with a roguish gunfighter (Owen Wilson).Once time in the West that confront against Indians, treacherous sheriff (Xander Berkeley) and perfidious Chinese.The motion picture displays action Western, humor with tongue in check, spectacular struggles with Chan style and is pretty funny.Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson create an enjoyable and amusing pair.
It's usual in Chan movies make enjoyable duos, a buddy movie style, as male partner: Chris Tucker (Rush hour I,II and III), as female: Jennifer Love Hewitt( The Tuxedo) and Claire Forlani(The medallion) and this one to pair off splendidly with Owen Wilson.
Perhaps a better way of determining your enjoyment of the movie is asking yourself whether or not you find Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan funny guys.
I think Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson is a great pair for a movie.
It's a very fun movie that contains many scenes that had me laughing out loud, as well as several surprisingly intense and very well choreographed action sequences, it's a clever mix of both westerns and martial arts films, and it is clear watching this from start to finish that it is a unique film.
I only have two major problems with this movie, and that is that it takes itself too seriously at times, it gets fairly deep for something that should have only wanted to be a comedy, particularly the scenes with the princess and her capturers are quite dark and grim, and I also felt like it needed much more moments between Chan and Wilson's characters that conveyed a friendship is beginning, I would have liked to see a lot more scenes with the two of them together simply having fun and not worrying about the problem they must overcome.
The highlight of the movie and the thing that certainly holds it all together would have to be Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, they are an unlikely duo, but this works out perfectly, the chemistry between the two is outstanding and the drinking game is definitely my favourite scene in the whole movie.
Funny, action packed and entertaining, I would recommend Shanghai Noon to anyone looking for a good adventure film.
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson are both very good, and are a well matched double act.Overall, not perfect, but fun and enjoyable.
Shanghai Noon brings us various elements that make Jackie Chan's movies so great.
The chemistry between Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan is amazing, and unlike Rush Hour (which rattled race issues just a little), the inter-cultural humor is tasteful and respectful.
Both actors shine in their niches.Unlike many action films (especially Jackie Chan's), this one has a real plot, and while it doesn't exactly have "something to say that changed my life", there are satisfying themes, the story is original, and the characters have some depth, while being both a parody of and honoring the western movie genre.
The only thing this movie is really funny in is with its characters names, that of course reference to some classic western actors and real life persons.This movie was actually Owen Wilson's 'big' comedy breakthrough.
Seriously, there is no need to watch this more than once as it is the most forgetable pile of utter silliness in a long time.Owen Wilson is so charming as the hapless but innocent crook Roy O'Bannon who teams up Jackie Chan's Chong Wang/John Wayne to put an evil Sheriff out of business, rescue a Princess and defeat some stock Chinese Bad Guy. It's all harmless stuff with some neat fight scenes that never get too violent and a gleefully light-hearted sense of humor.Randy Edelman's generic Western score is terrible (as usual) and sounds like everything else he's ever done only with a few notes changed.
Shang Hai Noon is one of those rare movies that transcends several genres.The comedy is first rate with Jackie Chan playing straight man to Owen Wilson's fantastic "clown".
Lucy Liu is quite regal (as well as drop-dead gorgeous) as the princess Pei-pei.Even the music is great and well-timed to dramatize the corresponding sequences.I will say that some of the comedy is a bit 'cornball', but it's all in good fun.Overall, I would say this movie is quite simply a whole lot of fun.9 out of 10!.
You take Jackie Chan, a stoic, robotic Chinese fighting machine with the sense of humour god gave a sock, and pair him with Owen Wilson, a wishy washy surfer dude of a cowboy who can't take one second out of the day to stop talking or cracking jokes, and you've got gold.
Jackie Chan's new action comedy, Westerns, martial arts and buddy movie is stolen by an excellent performance by Owen Wilson.China, the Forbidden City, 1881.
Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson star in a 19th century Western, where Imperial Guard Chon Wang (Chan) of China's Forbidden City attempt to rescue the kidnapped Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu) in the United States.
There, he meets small time robber Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson) and together they go through misadventures, until they finally band together to find the Princess and rescue her people.This is basically a good old fashion western comedy featuring Chan's signature martial arts moves and Wilson's mellow and friendly attitude yearning for grandeur.
Princess is being shipped out of China to U.S.A so when they find out that she's been kidnapped 5 Men the Uncle and the Soldiers one of them Jackie Chan going after to rescue her with the gold .Meanwhile Owen Wilson with this cowboy thief look he and his crew get on the train to rob everybody with everything and the new guy on the group from Texas kills Jackie's Uncle which he gets after them for revenge while fighting with each other Owen And Jackie find themselves partnering of course Owen trying in the beginning he's in for the gold and Jackie to rescue the Princess Pei-Pei.In other side Jackie is lost headed in the wrong direction by Owen which he fights this people who are trying to pick on this little girl which he saves her and then he is taken to the Indian's where he gains a wife and new experiences .And in the end Owen and Jackie reunites after a conflict about Owen saying he's not friend with Jackie he doesn't ride with me .
Released in 2000, "Shanghai Noon" features Jackie Chan as Chon Wang (the Chinese spelling of John Wayne, lol) who teams up with good-bad-guy Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson).
Anyway, this is a good flick to watch if you're in the mood for an Indiana Jones-type movie, like 1999's "The Mummy." It's not as good as "Raiders of the Lost Ark", but it's better than its sequels.Chan and Wilson have great chemistry and the humor is really funny, like the Wyatt Earp line at the end.
Of course, with Jackie Chan the action is great as well, but it goes a bit overboard towards the end, which is typical of Hollywood.The film runs 110 minutes and was shot in Alberta, Canada, and the Forbidden City, Beijing.GRADE: B+.
Shanghai Noon has a nice pairing maybe the pairing is not as great as the one in Rush Hour but Owen Wilson style of comedy is one that I have come to love and appreciate.Owen Wilson's style is a laid back demeanor, and that of Jackie is one of comic martial art and scenes the mix is just unique.
The movie can be seen to be of a form of a buddy cop genre.The movie paid homage to some nice western classics, like High Noon and Jackie Chan's character is named Chon Wang meant to sound like John Wayne.
Although when asked how he did it, he claimed to have dug himself out with chopsticks.The movie plot crosses across two regions, China and the US, in China Chon Wang (Jackie Chan) is an imperial guard and he has his eyes for the princess Pei-Pei (Lucy Liu), who got abducted and taken to America.
Now Im not a major fan of old western movies but the chemistry with Chan and Wilson was brilliant and kept me involved with the pace of the film.
I thought Owen Wilson played his part excellent as the laid back cowboy, but sadly Chan was the same character as in his other movies.
SHANGHAI NOON pairs Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson as, respectively, a Chinese royal guard and train robber in search of a kidnapped princess, winningly played by Lucy Liu. The film is strictly slapstick, as is often the case with Chan's fighting style, and Wilson is very funny as Chan's boastful but reluctant sidekick.
Entertaining but uneven action-comedy makes good use of the familiar fish-out-of-water/buddy film formula that worked so well for Chan in Rush Hour, but it takes its time getting started and never hits a stride.
After watching previous Jackie Chan movies such as "Rush Hour" and "Rumble In The Bronx, I was expecting to be dazzled with his comedic talent as well as action filled sequences.
After watching previous Jackie Chan movies such as "Rush Hour" and "Rumble In The Bronx, I was expecting to be dazzled with his comedic talent as well as action filled sequences.
I was expecting Owen Wilson to be similar to Chris Tucker, but in "Shanghai Noon" Wilson proved himself to be much better than other Jackie Chan sidekicks I've seen him teamed with.
I was expecting Owen Wilson to be similar to Chris Tucker, but in "Shanghai Noon" Wilson proved himself to be much better than other Jackie Chan sidekicks I've seen him teamed with.
An okay movie for Jackie Chan/Owen Wilson fans....
Predictable, but balances comfortably between Kung Fu action and comedy (The Indian marriage, the obedient horse, and the hilariously sarcastic bounty hunter played by Xander Berkeley) Anachronisms out-of-the-way (this is only fluff) the only blemish of the movie is Owen Wilson.
Jackie Chan does a wonderful job, whether it is comedy, drama, or martial arts fighting, as the nephew who at first wants revenge but must later work with the gang's leader to rescue the princess.
*** 1/2Starring: Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, and Lucy Liu.A Chinese man must go in search for a kidnapped princess.
But the main characters are interesting and engaging, the humor is acutally funny (rather than just potty humor), and the martial-arts scenes are so beautifully choreographed, and so much fun, that even a kung-fu scrooge like me can thoroughly enjoy them.Interesting note -- as we were watching the train-robbery sequence, I muttered to my daughter, "A kung-fu movie set in cowboy times....
Chans movies with Wilsons comedy truly make this film worth watching..
I'm not a really big fan of Jackie Chan although I do love him in the Rush Hour movies.
The photography and acting are quite good and if wasn't a "Jackie Chan" movie it would stand well on it's own.The era of the Chinese films that I grew up with are a thing of the past..
Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan have different styles of comedy, but here they mix together to make a very funny action comedy.
I love Jackie Chan movies, but this one is worth seeing for Owen Wilson alone.
Jackie Chan master of Martial arts and a daring stunt man is back in his new film Shanghai noon.
"Shanghai Noon" is maybe Jackie Chan's most inventive movie, and packs quite a good laugh.
Jackie Chan is (as usual) excellent in his role and Owen Wilson did pretty good too.
The combination of Chan's slapstick humor and amazing stunts and action scenes and Wilson's timing and verbal humor make an amazing, astounding and hilarious movie.
This movie has lots of actions, ya know Jackie Chan!
I always enjoy Jackie Chan films, and I liked this one too, though my favorite is still "Mr. Nice Guy".However, I felt that Owen Wilson was badly miscast.
Really a fun family movie- I like Jackie Chan because he knows how to mix action-comedy without blood & bad words during the movie.
Shanghai Noon was so far, one of Jackie Chan's best movies.
Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan continues his leap into American movies by taking on the most American genre of all -- the Western -- in Shanghai Noon, a film that mixes elements of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Blazing Saddles" and Chan's own "Rush Hour" with various levels of success.Owen Wilson easily steals the movie right out from under Chan.
Jackie Chan is not my favorite, but teamed up with Owen Wilson made for a very funny movie.
Used to be all that was good about a Jackie Chan film was the martial arts scenes. |
tt1464540 | I Am Number Four | A prelude of the killing of one of the Garde children—No. 3—by Mogadorians. This story is about a 15-year-old boy named John Smith. He has been on the run from the age of 4, and he is from a planet called Lorien.
Most of the book is told in the first-person by Number Four, who takes the name John Smith. As the story begins, he and his guardian or Cepân, Henri, learns of the death of Number Three and move to Paradise, Ohio, assuming new identities. There, John befriends conspiracy theorist Sam Goode and "adopts" a dog identified by its name tag as "Bernie Kosar". He also meets and is attracted to a fellow student, Sarah Hart, who is working as a photographer. Sarah's ex-boyfriend, football player Mark James, is a bully who torments both John and Sam.
During the Halloween festival Sam mentions that he knows about Mogadorians from a magazine, They Walk Among Us, a revelation that alarms both John and Henri. Mark and his friends organize a nasty surprise during the haunted hayride: Sarah, John and Sam are left stranded in the woods, where Mark plans to beat John up. John uses his "legacies", which are akin to superpowers, to fend off his attackers and rescues Sarah. In the darkness Sarah does not see John use his legacies, and he quietly warns Mark not to talk (or to let his friends talk) about what happened.
Sarah and John's relationship develops. Henri continues training John to use his legacies, now with an increasing sense of urgency. Henri is unsettled, and tells John that it is not safe to stay. He is also concerned as John is late in developing his telekinesis, a power that he will need to fight the Mogadorians. Later, it is revealed that Sam has seen enough to arouse his suspicions, but John allays them by bluffingly 'admitting' to being an alien. He finds out more about the magazine Sam reads by borrowing a copy. Sam speaks of his belief that his father has been abducted by aliens.
Henri discovers where the magazine is printed, and drives the two-hour car trip to Athens, Ohio, to find out more. John attends a Thanksgiving dinner with Sarah's family, but worries about Henri, who does not answer text messages. In his agitated state, John's telekinetic power manifests, though uncontrolled, and he leaves. He calls Sam for help, and they take Sam's father's long-unused truck and head for Athens, where they succeed in rescuing Henri. During the rescue, Sam is made fully aware of John's and Henri's alien secret, and John's legacies develop significantly. On their return, Henri insists they leave Paradise. John refuses, using his new found powers to express his adamance, and Henri relents.
A few months pass, during which John trains in the use of his legacies. Henri gradually relaxes as John becomes more adept. At a party at Mark's house, a major fire breaks out, trapping Sarah, so John uses his powers to rescue her. He then reveals his secret to Sarah, and they lie to the police and a reporter about what happened. Later on, John also lies to Henri, in order not to reveal how much he has told Sarah.
But John's lies are revealed when a video is released on YouTube. Henri is furious, and demands they leave immediately. John again uses his powers to stop him, and desperately races to the school, knowing that Sarah is in danger. He finds Sarah, but the Mogadorians have already arrived. The Mogadorians have brought an enormous beast called Piken, and smaller, but still deadly, creatures called Krauls. These creatures are sent to track and kill the Loric. John and Sarah are joined by Number Six (who has been looking for them since Three's death) and later by Henri, Mark, and Bernie Kosar ("the dog"). John sends Mark off, exhorting him to protect Sarah. A furious battle ensues, during which Six exhibits powers of invisibility and control of the weather, and Bernie Kosar is revealed to be a Chimæra. Sam arrives partway through the battle.
John kills a soldier, Bernie Kosar battles a Piken, and at key moments John is helped by his human friends, but in the end they are depleted and weakened by numbers and power. Six is wounded and taken to relative safety. John uses an ability he was barely aware of to communicate with a beast brought by the Mogadorians and to turn it against them. Henri is killed, but before dying exhorts John to read a letter he left for him. John survives, though he is very weak, and the Mogadorians are defeated.
Promising to return for Sarah, John leaves Paradise, along with Number Six, Sam, and Bernie Kosar. | mystery, murder, paranormal, good versus evil, action, romantic | train | wikipedia | Do you know that old movie rule that you subconsciously decide whether you're going to enjoy a film or not within the first ten minutes?
She comes across very natural, so that the love story that unfolds is actually engaging instead of vomit-inducing like that of that other movie with the whining Vampires and the shirtless Werewolves.Of course, "I Am Number Four" is by no means a great movie.
Characters are stereotypical, things fall into place way too conveniently and one has the feeling that a good junk of the original novel has just been crammed together to (barely) fit into the running time of a popcorn movie.However, I think we can all agree that it would be silly to actually expect a masterpiece, considering the movie's premise.
Add to that the fact that this movie is neither a sequel nor a remake, that it's not based on a comic book, a TV series, a computer game or toys, and it's enough to lift "I Am Number Four" heads and shoulders above its genre competitors..
This movie is entertainment for all viewers that delivers a good story, action, and desire to want more at the end.
The best part about this film: the love story within the plot WAS NOT painful/annoying to watch (such as Twilight).This movie is definitely worth seeing in theaters, as the action scenes truly make the experience.
We actually cared about what happened to them (something that I can't say about other book-to-movie Harry-Potter-wannabes.) Even number Six, a bad-ass female with Nightcrawler-like power was lovable!Finally, the storyline was engaging and easy to understand.
I understood it just fine without having read the book, and there was no point in the movie where I felt that things were moving too slowly (nor to quickly, for that matter.)I would urge you not to take any of the negative reviews written by middle-aged men to heart - spend the 10 bucks and give this movie a chance.
I was worried that the relationship between the main character and the photographer would run away with itself and overtake the plot as is seen is so many decent movies ruined by pointless teen relationships.
Characters are stereotypical, things fall into place way too conveniently and one has the feeling that a good junk of the original novel has just been crammed together to (barely) fit into the running time of 90 minutes.
The story feels a bit weak and there are so many plot holes it takes away part of the enjoyment like if the nine aliens are so powerful, why can't they stop those Mogadorians?
I will say I was interested and intrigued when the film was attempting to do something with the plot and overarching story, but these moments are never given the chance to fully develop.This Twilight series' formula might cheer up the hearts of teenage girls, but males with an ounce of testosterone will grow increasingly restless as they await the arrival of the action that the film's trailer promised.
I was intrigued from the early moments in the film where it started to set the plot into motion, and the need for John and Henri to keep running to avoid death.
A last minute save in the final act of the film where it shifts back into the realm of sci-fi in the form of a machina known as Number Six (Teresa Palmer) who proceeds to kick a satisfying amount of rampage against the backdrop of CGI and special-effects, is not nearly enough to make up for well over an hour of melodrama and teen angst.Acting wise, Alex Pettyfer is just plain with no expression but of course teenage girls will love him for his looks and physique.
And then there's the relative newcomer Callan McAuliffe stuck in the cliché- ridden role as the know-it-all geek of a best friend though he's fine in whatever he has.All this said, though this movie isn't the best action film of the year, its still worth a watch for the CGI and the last act of the movie.
The first 40 minutes it felt like I was watching a re-hashed "Twilight" movie rather than a sci-fi/horror pic.
It was well worth the watch if you can make it through that first half of beaten to death formula high school angst movies that Twilight has seemed to spawn.
The acting was good, there were very nice special effects and some pretty cool alien bad guys in the style of "Pinhead.".
Unfortunately, very few things worked in this movie (at least in my personal experience), because I could never get interested in the characters or in their forced romance, and much less in the horribly trite sci-fi concepts with which it pretends to adorn its tiring narrative.To start with...Mogadorians?
In fact, I think the film would have been much more entertaining with her in the leading role, instead of the insipid couple of Alex Pettyfer and Dianna Agron.
If you would pay a film admission price to watch two hours of predictable, cliché, and poorly acted supernatural teen soap drama, you may enjoy this movie.
The only good thing that came of seeing this film is that now I can warn others to stay away from it.If you have a craving for supernatural action-drama, turn on your TV or visit a streaming TV site and choose any show in that genre at random; I have no doubt you will find something equally "good", but more likely far better than this, for a bargain..
I honestly believe that if this film wasn't put together by these two doofuses, then there might have been something here.Bottom Line.......This movie would be great for your 8 year old.
As usual the actors are all too old to be playing school children, and the film just doesn't get any better.This film hits every cliché in the book, and combined with the poor acting and absent story line it is one of the worst films I have ever seen, almost funny it's so bad, do not watch!!
Its so slowly moving and loud, seeing the trailers for the past weeks before it came out was a huge way to spark up the hype for me into seeing this movie and what i got in repay was this.The story started off slow, i was confused during its first big bang of arousing, exciting Special effects and wait oh crap its that damn sound again, then coming from the guy who made disturbia i was very embarrassed that he made this movie so boring, Disturbia had me on the edge of my seat through the whole movie, but this!
Not Dr. Who, nor Star Wars, this teens gone alien is meant to follow the fangs of the silly Twilight series with an action-alien shoot 'em up for boys genre.With the exception of Timothy Olyphant as Henri, the acting is monosyllabic, bully quarterback, high school dork, scenario.
Or is just because aliens like to study real hard?Read more here: http://localmoviereview.com/i-am-number-four-movie- review/.
My kind of flick.I haven't read the books but here's hoping there's a second film because man this was so entertaining!Highly recommend watching this on the big screen.
At times the movie gets so bad that its actually funny.The only reason I did not walk out of the theater was the expensive cinema ticket.I appreciate this may upset hardcore fans, but please understand that a bad movie is still bad even if you like it.One can only hope that the producers will show mercy and not try and create a sequel out of this (even though plenty of hints were thrown at us suggesting that the suffering is not over yet).One last thing, the special effects; You can probably see better with a play station 2 or the original x-box.
The script is not good, the actors are doing what they can with it (though Dianna Agron's acting leaves something to be desired), I don't quite know what's going on with the direction, and the story itself is haphazard at best.
THe main character,John (Alex Pettyfer) is fairly shallow and I suppose OK for the teenage girls to notice.I found Henri (Timothy Olyphant) to be a more substantial and interesting character considering his limited dialog.
This was a really bad movie.The story is relatively good, although it certainly does contain many clichés.
Following the life of an alien boy (Alex Pettyfer) as he moves from town to town with his guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant), changing identities and hoping to stay hidden from the band of evil Mogadorians that are bent to destroy him and those of his kind that remain.
Things begin to heat up for John, though, as he begins to gain his powers and feel a connection with the others like him; he also falls in love with a girl (Dianna Agron) for the first time.
If you're looking to have a great time at the movies and stay on the edge of your seat as you're engulfed in an intense adventure, definitely see this film.
The plot has the usual flaws of this type of film, with the complete destruction of the school without any witness or clothing that does not burn, and the clichés such as a teen romance and the bully at school, but maybe that is why it is so good.The character Number Six "steals" the film with her appearance in the high-school.
I AM NUMBER FOUR starts out well enough: a handsome young lad going by the name of John Smith (Alex Pettyfer, 21 year old British actor) and his guardian Henri (Timothy Olyphant) have moved to a small Ohio town to avoid being found and killed by an alien group who seek to diminish John Smith's confreres in order (John is number four), having just killed number three whose son Sam (Callan McAuliffe, 16 year old Australian newcomer) happens to live in the little town.
Before it becomes hilariously silly there are some pretty decent performances by Olyphant, Pettyfer and McAuliffe that make the film worth watching.
Man am I gonna get chewed on for this
"I Am Number Four" is the perfect date movie, filled with action, romance and intrigue, with lots of great special effects and some nice characterization, a fantastic plot and definitely a good movie to munch popcorn to, no?That would be the case had this plot not been used frequently in many movies before.
Kevin Durand, under some good make-up, looks like he's enjoying himself as the main villain here, but Callan McAuliffe does a surprisingly good job as the sidekick who rarely in movies like these, DOESN'T makes an ass of himself AND becomes a sympathetic character too.The film is technically well made, of course being a major studio picture.
Yu re supposed to "look" like a bully!This movie works very well as your run of the mill good versus evil alien story with a unoriginal teenage romance forced in.
I connected to the story and the characters as well as the actors, and I have no problem saying it is one of the best Science Fiction films I have a seen in years!
The movie follows his efforts to blend in as a teenager on Earth to hide from the aliens inexplicably determined to kill every member of his species.However, Number Four has a tough time blending in – as it turns out his dazzling good looks and uncontrollable superpowers (such as his hands, which, upon occasion, emit bright beams of light).
I didn't like this movie, the story line played out so perfect that it didn't seem believable at all the characters didn't have much background and the villains looked like they were from the powerangers show.
I know they were trying to play into this tween crowd with a good looking cast and I know a complex plot line would not hold the attention of the add kids today but come on why wasted a good script on a boring teen movie.
If you feel you must read/watch this story, wait for the DVD release or borrow the book.I Am Number Four is centered around John, a 15-year-old alien and his guardian Henri.
If you cross X-Files with Twilight, you'll know all you need to know about I am Number Four, a sci-fi telling about good aliens among us running from bad ones.
The torture for me is not the taciturn James Franco-look-alike hero, John (Alex Pettyfer), with not even a modicum of intelligent lines; the real torture is the teen-age longing, brought to its max, I thought, by the lovers in Twilight (Edward and Bella—how could you forget?) but now revived, a word hardly appropriate for this film and better suited to a zombie production.
This movie has great special effects and sets up nicely for a sequel.
A film targeted at young adults, "I am Number Four" starts with some compelling action, then settles into a typical teen high school story--with budding love, the school bully, and the kid who is picked on--with a twist of mystery.
And there are a few plot twists that keep things interesting, even if they are sometimes telegraphed to the audience ahead of time.Dianna Agron ("Glee") is the object of John's affection, but romance is not the center of this film.
Callan McAuliffe is effective in the role of Sam, the misfit who John takes under his wing.The film is tailor-made for a sequel, but it appears none is in the works at this time.
It has a 'Twilight'-ish feel to it with typical teenage angst, high-school issues and some light romance, but on the other side its also a pretty cool sci-fi flick with great special effects and some interesting/unique bad guys.It follows "John Smith" who is from another planet, (literally).
The way the bad guys were introduced made me believe that they were going to be just a bunch of mindless creatures that want to kill everything and everyone in their path.But then came the boss villain played by Kevin Durand in "The Gadget Scene." I won't dare say another word about it here, let's just say that that scene saved the movie and made it much more interesting.Kevin Durand is the boss of all the villains in this film and does a great job.
His best performance (in my opinion)is as Little John alongside Russell Crowe in "Robin Hood" Until Kevin Durand is offered the kind of film projects that are going to show fans just how good of an actor he really is, we'll have to settle for his occasional bad guy roles.
I am, probably, too old but this movie, with impressive special effects, a nice love story, after old tale about Romeo and Juliet, with good performance of Timothy Olyphant , expressionless but brawl star Alex Pttyfer is really boring.
nothing but fun action.Cute acting, cute plot, super powers, eternal love, all you would want in a night at the movies.I say vote with your dollars America.
If this weren't bad enough the guy is coping with being a teenager and the fact that he is growing to have super-powers.When I saw the trailers for this film I was thinking "popcorn amusement with action sequences and nothing more than that".
It had a great storyline I thought and amazing action scenes and romance and really good graphics which is enough to make me fall in love with it and wish they would make the sequels because I'd for sure watch them on the opening weekend to find out more of the exciting adventure, as long as they keep up the great quality!!!
Pettyfer works alongside special effects exemplifying his powers and a cliché plot to create a very entertaining film, showing that he is a star in the making."I Am Number Four" lucked out with a very good young cast, however, the seasoned Teresa Palmer failed to provide support.
The special effects associated with them along with the animated creatures in the film lacked identity, coming off as fake.A roller coaster ride through a vortex of ups and downs, and of good and bad leaves the "I Am Number Four" series a lot of room for improvement.
After 10 minutes you get aware that you will watch nothing else, then a mixture of common scenes that you have seen 100 times before.The movie does not even have a story.
This could have been released straight into DVD no problem, like twilight and many other recent films that have started to fill the market with stupid plots for teenagers.
Yes the storyline has been done many times before but it wasn't a bad attempt and what I think was almost a teenage X-men film.Pettyfer was very good in his role of John, he was convincing in his role.
If I want to see something like that I could watch an episode from The O.C. There were some cool action scenes, yes, but that was completely overrun by the boring and totally predictable story-telling.
Good movie you can watch one time The story is decent, acting decent, movie is not slow it's average and.
Not the best movie of the year, but it is a very good and entertaining movie, combining action, a good plot and a few good jokes.What may have caused some people to not like it is that is obviously the first of a series of movies, so it has the trouble to explain a lot of things while leaves some others unexplained.I just want to ask the producers to film the number 6 movie, I can guarantee that will have a lot more success than number 4..
After the death of Number Three we see loner John (Alex Pettyfer) a teenage alien on Earth who has fled his planet from the Mogadorians and he moves swiftly from one town to another.
The film has some good special effects and action scenes but really it follows the template of many of these Young Adult adaptations..
You will enjoy this movie if you have read the book or like action and horror. |
tt0101640 | Da hong deng long gao gao gua | The film is set in 1920s China during the Warlord Era, years before the Chinese Civil War. Nineteen-year-old Songlian (Sònglián, played by Gong Li), an educated woman whose father has recently died and left the family bankrupt, is forced by her mother to marry into the wealthy Chen family, becoming the fourth wife or rather the third concubine or, as she is referred to, the Fourth Mistress (Sì Tàitai) of the household. Arriving at the palatial abode, she is at first treated like royalty, receiving sensuous foot massages and brightly lit red lanterns, as well as a visit from her husband, Master Chen (Ma Jingwu), the master of the house, whose face is never clearly shown.
Songlian soon discovers, however, that not all the concubines in the household receive the same luxurious treatment. In fact, the master decides on a daily basis the concubine with whom he will spend the night; whomever he chooses gets her lanterns lit, receives the foot massage, gets her choice of menu items at mealtime, and gets the most attention and respect from the servants. Pitted in constant competition against each other, the three concubines are continually vying for their husband's attention and affections. It is this hierarchical competition, and the artificiality of human relations within the compound, that projects the film's strongest critique.
The First Mistress, Yuru (Jin Shuyuan), appears to be nearly as old as the master himself. Having borne a son decades earlier, she seems resigned to live out her life as forgotten, always passed over in favor of the younger concubines. The Second Mistress, Zhuoyun (Zhuóyún, Cao Cuifen), befriends Songlian, complimenting her youth and beauty, and giving her expensive silk as a gift; she also warns her about the Third Mistress, Meishan (Méishan, He Caifei), a former opera singer who is spoiled and who becomes unable to cope with no longer being the youngest and most favored of the master's playthings. As time passes, though, Songlian learns that it is really Zhuoyun, the Second Mistress, who is not to be trusted; she is subsequently described as having the face of the Buddha, yet possessing the heart of a scorpion.
Songlian feigns pregnancy, attempting to garner the majority of the master's time and, at the same time, attempting to become actually pregnant. Zhuoyun, however, is in league with Songlian's personal maid, Yan'er (Yàn'ér, played by Kong Lin) who finds and reveals a pair of bloodied undergarments, suggesting that Songlian had recently had her period, and discovers the pregnancy is a fraud.
Zhuoyun summons the family physician, feigning concern for Songlian's "pregnancy". Doctor Gao (Gao-yisheng, Cui Zhigang), who is secretly having an illicit affair with Third Mistress Meishan, examines Songlian and determines the pregnancy to be a sham. Infuriated, the master orders Songlian's lanterns covered with thick black canvas bags indefinitely. Blaming the sequence of events on Yan'er, Songlian reveals to the house that Yan'er's room is filled with lit red lanterns, showing that Yan'er dreams of becoming a mistress instead of a lowly servant; it is suggested earlier that Yan'er is in love with the master and has even slept with him in the Fourth Mistress' bed.
Yan'er is punished by having the lanterns burned while she kneels in the snow, watching as they smolder. In an act of defiance, Yan'er refuses to humble herself or apologize, and thus remains kneeling in the snow throughout the night until she collapses. Yan'er falls sick and ultimately dies after being taken to the hospital. One of the servants tells Songlian that her former maid died with her mistress's name on her lips. Songlian, who had briefly attended university before the passing of her father and being forced into marriage, comes to the conclusion that she is happier in solitude; she eventually sees the competition between the concubines as a useless endeavor, as each woman is merely a "robe" that the master may wear and discard at his discretion.
As Songlian retreats further into her solitude, she begins speaking of suicide; she reasons that dying is a better fate than being a concubine in the Chen household. On her twentieth birthday, severely intoxicated and despondent over her bitter fate, Songlian inadvertently blurts out the details of the love affair between Meishan and Doctor Gao to Zhuoyun, who later catches the adulterous couple together. Following the old customs and traditions, Meishan is dragged to a lone room on the roof of the estate and hanged to death by the master's servants.
Songlian, already in agony due to the fruitlessness of her life, witnesses the entire episode and is emotionally traumatized. The following summer, after the Master's marriage to yet another concubine, Songlian is shown wandering the compound in her old schoolgirl clothes, having gone completely insane. | depressing, murder, intrigue, insanity, romantic, claustrophobic, tragedy, revenge | train | wikipedia | It shows us that film, real film that is, does not need $100 million to look good, rather the combination of a haunting setting in the middle of vastness and the equally haunting beauty of it's star, Gong Li, but at it's heart the house itself resembles a claustrophobic pot, boiling over the surface.This is in my opinion, Zhang Yimou's greatest film, it is a triumph in film form and narrative.
But beyond its beauty, its moral seriousness, the fact that not for a moment is it "dumbed down" in the regrettable Hollywood fashion, its superb acting, and its almost unbelievably perfect pacing, make it a rare, rare experience."Red Sorghum," the only other Zhang Yimou film I've seen so far, I found somewhat propagandistic but gripping and visually stunning (even more so than "Raise the Red Lantern.") I will be making an effort to see more of this director's fairly extensive body of work.
Raise The Red Lantern is one of the only Chinese movies I've seen, but I'll definitely admit that it's unusual to see a film this stylistically masterful come out of Hollywood (although it can happen -- The Thin Red Line, for example).
The characters take on the mask-like appearance of ghosts, except that right in the middle of it all, living and breathing human beings are caught, stripped of their will, and subjugated beautifully; their sterile riches suffocating them.In the VHS version I saw, the cover notes were very poorly written and misleading, hinting at a particular love interest that (fortunately, I can say) is not in the film, yet ignoring the symphony of clashing hearts and minds that are central to the wonderfully woven plot.
When the Master has chosen the wife he wishes to spend the night with, huge red lanterns are lit and hung around the outside and inside of the house of that wife and she is given a foot massage with small weighted silver hammers whose castanet-like sounds echo through the entire complex, and they serve as an overt display to the others that they were not good enough on that day to win his affections and must try harder the next day.
Zhang Yimou solidifies his standing as one of cinema's most brilliant craftsmen with Raise the Red Lantern, a heartbreaking and fascinating look into the life of a young, well-educated woman who gives up her future to become the fourth wife of a wealthy landowner in 1920s China.
Zhang Yimou makes films as exquisitely composed as any master's painting, and his palette extends beyond the obvious beauty of Gong Li to include the details of the courtyards, lanterns, silks, and rooftops with an inexplicable mixture of tranquility and austerity..
Consequently, the women must jockey for position, all vying for the privilege of the titular lanterns, lit outside the house of whatever woman is lucky enough to receive the master's company.Raise the Red Lantern a genuine masterpiece bears the fruit of the planet's last three-strip Technicolor lab, located in Shanghai, and you can't so much as glance at the screen without noticing the difference.
Gong Li. Songlian(Gong li) is the fourth wife of the elusive Master.When she arrives in this secluded remote place the other wives pay attention,the film shows the female vanity and a competition to gain the master affection but why?
Songlian looks very delicate but she proves that she can be strong and even rebel.The great chinase Director Zhang Yimou did a wonderful job to focused on the beautiful,flawless face of the impressive Gong Li.The film begins when we see her face on the screen and a tear drops slowly.Other poignant scene is when her flute disappears
why she makes too much noise about it?is the only gift she had from her late father.When the winter arrives and the snow envelops this place it seem more remote and eerie Then a series of tragedies occur and the heroine starts to fade slowly.
I think that the ending is so sad but at the same time is like a fairy tale To me.Songlian looks like a ghost walking around,alone without a soul .She represents a tragic past that will always haunt this place.I'm a big admirer of the actress Gong Li,all her films impressive me in different levels: `Jou Du'; The Story of Qiu Ju; Farewell to my Concubine.
The various use of color tinting: demonstrating sunrise and sunset, light emitted by the red lantern in its different shading and position, the symbolism behind the red lantern and the women's condition within the mansion, and the draping in black curtains of Songlian's lanterns when she has committed a crime against tradition are both visually stunning and extremely effective in creating the mood of the time.
The plot is essentially about how the mistresses vie for their master's attention while they attempt to out-manipulate each other for that precious recognition.RTRL has complex themes, but I think the film is mainly about the emptiness and pointlessness of these women's lives in a society that sees them as having no worth, and how they destroy themselves and each other because of their insecurities and lack of self-respect, in an attempt to achieve (what they regard as) some kind of self-worth.
"Raise the Red Lantern" has a real story and real acting to match.I really like this film!.
RAISE THE RED LANTERN is a family drama about Songlian, a 19-year-old Chinese woman who chooses to become the fourth wife of a rich magnate.
Songlian enters her husband's mansion in the second scene, and not a single shot thereafter strays from this prison masquerading as a home, where there is no color except for the red lanterns that signify the master's choice of which wife he will sleep with tonight.
The character I found myself rooting for the most was the servant girl Yan'er, who is just as nasty as any of the others, but is the only one to show any real defiance, any willingness to fight against the restrictions the house places on her.The clearly redeeming feature of RAISE THE RED LANTERN is Gong Li's performance as Songlian; she plays her character to the hilt, with amazing verisimilitude.
The writing may not allow her to win much sympathy, but you cannot avoid the feeling that this is woman, however awful, is a real person with real feelings.Oddly, the subtitles constantly refer to the four wives as `Mistress' and the IMDB credits them as `concubines.' However, it appears that they are indeed wives, each married to the master; the Mandarin word used is `tai-tai,' which means wife.I think that Zhang Yimou meant this movie as a denunciation of polygamy.
Well quite simply, it's interesting due to the battle you see between the wives who are subtly plotting against one another to gain the upper hand in status and also self respect for a guy whom they don't love, but feel that he is the only one who can provide it for them.There is a sense of claustrophobia in the film, as our main character, Songlian (Gong Li) at first starts to think this new life as a concubine is quite glamorous until she starts to see the reality of the concubines situation.
The shots of the complex they live in almost gives a sense of isolation from the rest of the world and that they are confined in their homes to serve their one and only master, the husband they all share.The title refers to the fact that lanterns are raised at one of the concubines' houses if the master chooses to spend the night with the one with whom he chooses.
You see the four concubines waiting to hear the daily announcement before they sleep as to whom will have the pleasure of spending the night with the master.Zhang Yimou's films often have a message which can be interpreted in different ways.
Songlian struggles to obey all the rules but also tries to play the political game in order to gain the master's attention.With its simple yet very well told story, with a terrific performance by Gong Li and the rest of the cast, it definitely is worth the watch.
The film powerfully portrays the life of Songlian (Gong Li) as she becomes the "Fourth Wife" to Chen a wealthy landowner in 1920's China.
From the opening scene to the very last frame I was mesmerized by the strong acting of all the cast but most especially with Gong Li. I was impressed by her abilities in Memoirs of a Geisha, but Raise the Red Lantern offered her a bigger stage to present the wide range of her acting abilities.There Gong Li presented a character who, at times, commanded presence and self-assuredness as she struggled to untangle the complexities of the "duties and customs" of a concubine in their master's household.
They make an incredible team and this is an incredible movie.It provides an inside look at Chinese custom as four wives fight for the right to have the lanterns lit at their house each night representing whom the Master will sleep with.
and has known what is to be "free." In the constricted, feudal environment of the Master's palatial house, Zhang Yimou shows Songlian's physical and psychological imprisonment in a "gilded cage." The most horrific thing about this movie is the fact that, in 20s era China, something like this could conceivably happen.
The way Zhang Yimou gradually unwinds the story, with sumptuous colors and the incredibly believable acting of Gong Li and the rest of the cast, is beautiful and has a depth that most Hollywood movies lack..
A few years later, I saw it at Blockbuster, rented it, and saw exactly why it was a great movie, and its still in the top 5 of my favorite movies.Set in 1920's China, the story is about Songlian, a 19 year old university student who decides to marry a rich, older man after the death of her father.
Raise the Red Lantern, has a Kurosawa quality to it; very slow, very dramatic and very thought provoking.Set around the beginning of the 20th century, The film is about the conflict between four concubines in the massive household of a Chinese lord.
Like Truffaut's "The 400 Blows" alerting the cinematic world to the rising of the French New Wave, Yimou's film serves as fair warning to all that the best films in the world are now coming out of Asia.No, I'm not overstating it.In 1920s China, 19-year-old Songlian (Gong Li) is sent to the home of a feudal nobleman to become his fourth wife.
And the female servants dream of how wonderful life must be to live as one of the Master's wives.Yimou films the story with an astonishing beauty, giving even a scene of deadly violence (mercifully hidden from the camera) a gorgeous look.
Yimou is also very aware of his leading actress's incredible beauty and he coaxes more expressions from Gong Li's face than it would seem one person is capable of making.If you have any hesitations about viewing a subtitled film, put them aside and allow yourself to be taken on one of the most wonderful cinematic journeys you will ever travel..
We aren't afraid of work and we are certainly as clever as men =)Every time I see this movie, it reminds me to be loving to my fellow women and stop playing bitchy mind games that we consciously and unconsciously play and direct my focus on more important things.Yes, I do believe that we can change this and I will start by not being a part of that game that we have all been a part of at some point in our lives..
Raise the Red Lantern is a film directed by Zhang Yimou which is an adaptation of the novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong.
Alas, not all is as perfect as it may seem, with three other mistresses under one roof (coupled with a scored maid) - the events get dramatic, mistresses pine for time with the "Master", and the hardships of living in this culture become clear as "Raise the Red Lantern" couples history, fiction, and amazing visuals to weave an important story to the screen.
This film, Raise the Red Lantern, refers to the signal a rich husband would give for which wife or concubine he wanted for that evening.
Chinese auteur Zhang Yimou's fourth feature, Venice's Silver Lion winner and an Oscar BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM nominee, RAISE THE RED LANTERN, first and foremost, emblazons Zhang's indubitable sense of form as a cinematic aesthete by curtailing the whole shebang within the perimeter of a palatial residence (the Qiao Family compound near Pingyao, Shanxi Province) in the Warlord Era China of the early 20th Century, and vetting women's tragic life immured inside a feudal prison with a fine-tooth comb.Songlian (Gong Li), a 19-year-old college-dropout, marries into the wealthy Chen Family as the fourth wife (or the third concubine), and soon is embroiled into the harem's backdoor maneuver, validated by the lantern-lightening ritual vouchsafed by Master Chen (Ma Jingwu) - whose face is never shown in close-up, a bold generalization pregnant with Zhang's tacit swipe at the draconian patriarchy's clutches - to indicate which wife he intends to spend the night with and is concomitant with privileges like sensual foot massage and preferential culinary options vested to the cherry-picked one.With the exception of Chen's first wife, the scraggly Yuru (Jin Shuyuan), who is long in the tooth and has become philosophical towards her long-gone heyday, the quotidian contest revolves around Songlian, Meishan (He Saifei), the third wife, a cosseted former Peking opera star who sub rosa engages in an illicit affair with the family doctor, and Zhuoyun (Cao Cuifen), the second wife, a Buddha-faced, scorpion-hearted figure, who befriends Songlian with an ulterior motive to exact.
Among the supporting players, He Saifei impresses with her stupendous opera posture and a friend-or-foe intrigue that occasions a precious if elusive sense of solidarity that is essential to the film's feminist slant; on the opposite of the gamut, veteran actress Cao Cuifen, intriguingly excels in exemplifying the artificiality of sororal rapport.It goes without saying that RAISE THE RED LANTERN owes its appreciable renown as much to its performers as those behind the camera, namely, the rigidly-framed, chromatically stunning cinematography from Zhao Fei and Yang Lun that falls in line with a unique color scheme out of Zhang's ingenious conception, and the aural pleasure engendered by the oriental strains masterly composed by Zhao Jiping along with shrill Chinese opera snippets, honing the trenchant strength of this benightedness-censuring, universally allegorical tale that judiciously scrutinizes womanhood in its dead center..
A young woman (Gong Li) becomes the fourth wife of a wealthy lord, and must learn to live with the strict rules and tensions within the household."Raise the Red Lantern" has been distributed on VHS, Laserdisc and DVD by numerous different distributors, with many coming under criticism for their poor quality.
That's so helpful.-- Sullen, immature concubines looking for a few pointersI'll give Raise the Red Lantern a 4 out of 10, which is the highest rating I'll give a film I could not watch all the way through.
That's so helpful.-- Sullen, immature concubines looking for a few pointers I'll give Raise the Red Lantern a 4 out of 10, which is the highest rating I'll give a film I could not watch all the way through.
remember the Warlord Era. Zhang Yimou's Academy Award-nominated "Da hong deng long gao gao gua" ("Raise the Red Lantern" in English) is one of the many movies that sets up why China is like it is today.
Raise the Red Lantern is one of the best Chinese movies I have seen.
"Raise the Red Lantern," the story of a college-educated young woman who becomes the fourth wife to a wealthy man in imperial China, made an indelible impression on me when I first saw it in the theater.
Zhang Yimou's "Raise the Red Lantern" is slow and stately and quite genuinely beautiful to behold, but the ornate stilness and single setting serves only to blunt the film's virtues.
As such, I understand why many younger people do not like Raise the Red Lantern.Anyways, it's about a story of an educated female who due to her father's death, must become the fourth concubine of a wealthy landowner in order to support her family at home.
It's all a very striking and realistic look at how women were treated in China back then by the mainly paternalistic society.It's quite slow, which is the main reason why I'm not enamoured with it, and nothing really happens in the movie (aside from the fact that she must compete with the other mistresses of the household, something that I've known already, considering I've watched many other Chinese films involving royal intrigue and infighting to get more power etc).
Gong Li is Songlian, a nineteen year old whose father has died, which results in her marrying a wealthy man, Master Chen, becoming the fourth wife and third concubine.
Raise the Red Lantern is a gorgeous movie, as are most of Yimou Zhang's films.
Set in 1920s China, Raise the Red Lantern begins with a close-up of Songlian's face.
Seemingly imprisoned in her rooms, Songlian is not even able to keep a flute, an heirloom of her father's, because Master Chen is worried that it was a gift from a boy at Songlian's university.Like other Zhang Yimou films, Raise the Red Lantern is a visual delight.
Raise the Red Lantern directed by Zhang Yimou is the perfect testament to the harsh realities women had to face during the 1920's in China.
Yimou accomplished his task of showing the oppressive lives that these women must live and through the use of Songlian he showed that there is no way out.The only flaw in Raise the Red Lantern was the acting.
Gong Li plays Song Lian in "Raise the Red Lantern" as the fourth concubine of the master Chen. |
tt0033891 | Meet John Doe | When reporter ANN MITCHELL is laid off by managing editor HENRY CONNELL because of streamlining, she begs to stay on since she's supporting her MOTHER and TWO SISTERS, but it's no use. Angry, she gathers up her belongings but then, as a parting shot, types up a fake letter from "John Doe" stating that he's so downtrodden by the unfairness of things that he intends jumping off the building on Christmas Eve.The paper prints the letter and it causes a sensation. Everyone relates to and wants to help John Doe. Connell, desperate to get hold of the original letter is shocked when Ann tells him there was no letter. Connell, angry, is ready to print a retraction but Ann suggests that they hire a "fake John Doe" to embody the pathos of the letter. She gets her job back along with a lucrative fee and contract.Several desperate MEN line up claming to have written the letter, so Ann and Connell must now pick the one. When handsome JOHN WILLOUGHBY walks in, Ann's clearly smitten. A likeable, quiet baseball player who's fallen on bad times, John's the one who will become "John Doe." Although he seems too honest to lie, Ann believes he's desperate enough. They create a fake letter, put him up at a fancy hotel with bodyguards, making him sign an agreement. Also in tow (much to Connell's chagrin) is THE COLONEL, a confirmed vagabond, distrustful of society, who warns John that he's falling into a trap of privilege.Next come publicity photos, which are directed by Ann to get the correct "angry protest" look. With headlines proclaiming his anger at the unfairness of the world, John becomes an increasing media sensation, courtesy of hyperbolic headlines concocted by Connell. Meanwhile, the GOVERNOR suspects John Doe is a myth but mistakenly feels it was concocted by publisher B. D. NORTON to discredit him. Ann convinces Norton to play it for what it's worth. Norton offers her money to write radio speeches to sell Doe. He also wants her to work directly with him and not Connell.Ann goes to work, typing up a storm but nothing comes to mind. Ann's Mother suggests that she write something upbeat and simple, using the values of Ann's late father as an inspiration. By now, John has begun realizing that his baseball career might not get started again if the John Doe business is revealed as a phony.Nonetheless, John reads his first manufactured upbeat speech, written by Ann to a packed house. Ann coaches him to be sincere, suggesting that she's fallen in love with John Doe. The speech, broadcast on the radio, stirs the people with its "love thy neighbor"-style message. CROWDS love him but John can't get away fast enough. He and the Colonel resort to the boxcars and flee. B. D. Norton, thinking he was great, wants him located.When a DINER WAITER recognizes him, John's hope for a return to normalcy is squelched by sudden CROWDS, eager to meet him. Ann and Norton locate him. John isn't happy about it. When Norton offers him a lecture tour, he refuses it angrily. When the common PEOPLE who have a "John Doe" club talk to him, however, he softens when hearing how he's touched them. Now, John's torn. His itinerant pal, The Colonel, thinks he's been "hooked" and, disgusted, walks out on him.Norton arranges the lecture tour. John speaks in state after state, addressing the many national clubs in his name. Connell tells Norton, however, that he's curious why Norton is spending so much money on the tour. In the meantime, Ann, knowing that John now likes her, feels increasingly like the heel she feels she is. She feels even worse when John relates a tender dream that he had about her and talks to her about how he relates to the lonely, hungry people to whom he's been speaking.Norton gives Ann a fur coat and a gift. He then tells her that he wants John Doe to announce a new "third political party," which, it's clear to Ann, was Norton's plan all along. Norton wants to be the presidential candidate for that party, which will be less for the people than it is for those like Norton - big business types. John visits Ann's Mother, telling her he'd like to marry Ann. Her gentle advice is just to ask.While John talks with Connell, the editor, who's had a few drinks, blurts that Norton has a dark agenda. John feels hurt and used, as he'd felt the whole John Doe was legitimate, not a tool for Norton's political ambitions. Connell also tells John how well paid Ann is to write the speeches and would do anything for money. Angry, John walk in on Norton and Ann at a lavish dinner party he's having in his mansion. John overhears Norton's political plotting as well as his toast to Ann for having aided him. Ann sees that John is listening.John asks Ann if indeed she wrote Norton's speech and she admits it. John then confronts Norton and all at his party. John threatens to thwart his efforts. Norton accuses John of being the fake, not him. Norton threatens to reveal such if he talks. Aghast that Norton would kill the John Doe movement to protect his own interests, John is furious with all of them. He tells them off with passion, impressing Ann and the STAFF, who overhear. John feels that the movement is far too powerful for Norton and his cronies to stop.Norton wants John stopped before he can blow the whistle at the huge gathering that has now formed at a public arena. Ann catches up with John, trying to explain, telling him that she didn't know what Norton and his people were dong. John doesn't believe her and doesn't allow her to accompany him in his cab.John shows up at the event as a huge CROWD stands in the rain singing the National Anthem. A PRIEST introduces John. Before he can speak, Norton has published a report that John Doe is a fake. Norton's TROOPERS storm the event as John tries to get the mob's attention and speak. With John subdued, Norton takes the mike and accuses him of being a fraud. As John tries to speak, the Troopers cut the mike cords. Ann listens on the radio as the mob becomes unruly. John returns to his place beneath a bridge with The Colonel.Newspapers herald his fakery. Clubs disband. John feels disgraced. He's tortured by memories of the sweet, simple people that he feels he now let down. Christmas Eve comes, the appointed time that John Doe was to take his life by leaping from the building. Some of his FOLLOWERS are convinced he'll jump, so they head for the roof, as does Ann.Indeed, John shows up, a letter in his hand addressed to the admirers he feels he let down. He's about to jump when Norton steps from the shadows with this MEN, telling him that if he jumps the mayor has been instructed to remove his i.d. and thus his suicide will be for nothing. But John tells him he's already mailed a copy of the letter elsewhere. John's glad they're here. He tells Norton that the movement that they killed will be born all over again. Ann shows up as he's about to mump, begging him not to do it. She insists they can start it over again together. His followers agree. John and Ann walk away. Connell gets in the last word with a thwarted Norton. | entertaining, melodrama | train | imdb | null |
tt0017925 | The General | The Western & Atlantic Flyer "speeds into Marietta, Georgia in the Spring of 1861," pulled by the locomotive "General." The engineer, Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) gets down to oil around, and is observed by two admiring boys. He has two loves: his engine and his girl. The two boys follow him when he goes to call on Annabelle (Marion Mack). They follow him right into her house, and he has to trick them to get them to leave. He presents Annabelle with a portrait of himself in front of his engine. Annabelle's brother (Frank Barnes) arrives with the news that war has broken out. He and their father (Charles Smith) go to enlist. Annabelle expects Johnnie to enlist, so he says goodbye. She gives him a kiss, and he backs off the edge of the porch.Johnnie runs by a shortcut and vaults a counter to be first in line. He doesn't hear that he is "more valuable to the South as an engineer," so he doesn't understand why he is rejected. He tries two more times to sign up, but is kicked out the door. Annabelle's father and brother invite him into the line, but he has had enough. They think he is a disgrace, and tell Annabelle he never got in line. He sits dejected on his engine's siderod. Annabelle tells him she won't speak to him until he is in uniform. An engine hostler moves the engine, with Johnnie still sitting on the siderod. He doesn't notice until, on the third revolution, the locomotive is entering the enginehouse.One year later, in Chattanooga, Gen. Thatcher (Jim Farley) and his "chief spy" Capt. Anderson (Glen Cavender) hatch a plan to take a group of spies to steal a train at Big Shanty and drive it north, burning bridges to cut the supply line to the Confederate army threatening Chattanooga.At Marietta, Annabelle boards Johnnie's train to visit her wounded father. Johnnie sees her pointedly fuss with her brother's medals. When the train stops at Big Shanty for breakfast, Anderson and his men get off on the side away from the station. Annabelle gets into one of the boxcars to retrieve money from her trunk. The men remove the coupling pin between the boxcars and the coaches, get aboard, and start the engine. They discover Annabelle, and have to take her. Johnnie calls for others to follow him, as he runs after his train, but they soon give up running.The Yankee spies tie up Annabelle. They stop to cut the telegraph wires, and back at Big Shanty, the operator notices the line go dead. Johnnie stops at a handcar shed, and only then notices that no one has followed him. But he gets the handcar going. The spies remove a rail and jam stones in the guardrail. Johnnie falls off the handcar, which runs off the track and smashes down an embankment. The "General" speeds past Kingston, where the "Texas" waits on a siding. Johnnie sees a bicycle, which he leaps on, but it doesn't work well along the rough roadbed. On the "General," Capt. Anderson unpacks a Confederate uniform. Johnnie runs into Kingston and shouts for help. Soldiers pile onto the flatcar behind the "Texas." Johnnie pulls the pin behind the flatcar to leave the rest of the train, but the flatcar is not coupled to the locomotive, and when he speeds away he does not notice the flatcar full of soldiers is left behind.By the time he notices he is alone, Johnnie sees a railroad mortar on a siding. The Yanks have stopped for water and wood. Johnnie is pulling the mortar car. The spies see him, and pull away without shutting off the water, and Johnnie gets an unexpected shower. Capt. Anderson won't stop and fight because he assumes they are outnumbered. They chop through the rear wall of the end boxcar. Back on the mortar car, Johnnie loads one handful (and a bit more) of powder, wadding, and a cannonball into the mortar, aimed to arc over the engine and hit the spies. He lights the fuse, and hurries back over the tender to the engine. The mortar fires, and sends the cannonball in a short arc right into the cab. Johnnie rolls it out of the cab and returns to the mortar. As he prepares another shot, there is a huge explosion beside the track back down the line. This time he puts the whole canister of powder in the gun. In hurrying back to the cab, his foot gets caught in the coupling bar, and dislodges it. When he finally gets his foot unstuck, the bar falls down and bangs against the crossties. The jostling makes the mortar lower until it points right at Johnnie, who has now got his foot caught in a loop of chain. He gets free, and scrambles all the way to the cowcatcher. The two trains enter an S-curve, and are at just the right places when the mortar fires that the shot misses the "Texas" and explodes just behind the spies.The Yanks release the rear boxcar to leave it in Johnnie's way. He pushes it onto a passing siding and proceeds. Busy feeding the fire, he doesn't notice that the boxcar continues to roll to the end of the siding and back onto the main track. He can't figure out how the boxcar got in front of him again. From the remaining boxcar the Yanks drop timbers across the rails. Johnnie, looking for a cloth to handle a leaky valve, doesn't see when the boxcar hits one of the timbers and is derailed out of the way. He can't figure out why the boxcar is now gone.Now he can see the timbers on the track. He slows the engine, and runs ahead to lift the first one. But he stumbles, and falls back onto the moving cowcatcher, holding the timber. With adroit timing, he uses it to hit the next one out of the way.The Yanks throw a switch to a spur track, and lift Annabelle over the tender to the engine cab. Johnnie, occupied with firewood again, sees just in time to stop before the end of the spur track. He backs out of the siding, and starts the engine forward, but the wheels slip. He gets down to throw dirt onto the rails. He doesn't notice when the wheels get a grip and the engine pulls away. He has to run to jump on the back of the tender.The Yanks have started a fire in the remaining boxcar, and they leave it in a covered bridge. Johnnie arrives in time to push it out. But there is so much smoke in the cab that he retreats to the tender deck, where he sits on the water hatch, not having noticed the lid is not on. He finally diverts the burning car onto a siding.Johnnie is so busy chopping wood on the tender he does not notice the Confederate army retreating. The Union army now passes, and Capt. Anderson removes his Confederate uniform. Johnnie finally notices the Union soldiers, and crouches down on the floor of the cab.The "General" passes under a trestle, and loops around to stop on the trestle above. When Johnnie passes below, the Yanks drop timbers down on him. Some land on the tender, providing fuel. But Capt. Anderson gets a good look, and says, "There is only one man on that engine." Johnnie stops, and gets off to hide in the woods. It starts to rain.When night falls, Johnnie climbs through the window of a house and takes food from the dining table. When a number of Union officers enter, he hides under it, and hears them planning to get supply trains across the Rock River bridge so the army can attack the Confederates the next day. One officer's cigar burns a hole in the tablecloth, and Johnnie is able to see when Annabelle is brought in and locked in the next room. The officers leave. Johnnie knocks out a sentry with a log and steals his uniform. He knocks out another sentry with his rifle butt, and climbs in the window of Annabelle's room. He gets her through the window, and leads her into the forest. They encounter a bear, and both get stuck in a bear trap. Johnnie keeps losing Annabelle, so he decides they should stay in one place until dawn.The next morning, Johnnie sees his locomotive. He empties a large sack of boots and stuffs Annabelle into the bag. Then he realizes one of his own shoes has come off and he has to find it among all those on the ground. He joins a line of soldiers loading the boxcar behind the "General." He stands where Annabelle can reach to uncouple it from the rest of the train, then puts her into the boxcar as a bag of supplies. He cringes and covers his eyes when he sees a crate and a barrel tossed in after her. He joins the line loading firewood, knocks out the officer in the cab, and starts the engine, heading back south.Johnnie stops outside of town, loops a rope over a telegraph pole, and ties it to the boxcar. When he pulls away, the pole and wire are pulled down, and the telegraph line is cut. He chops the rope, leaving the pole across the track. From the tender, he chops through the front wall of the boxcar, climbs in, and searches for Annabelle. He finds her among all the freight only when he steps on the sack she is in. Then he has to help her get across to the tender.Johnnie stops to throw fence rails onto the tender for firewood, but he has some difficulty getting them to stay there. Meanwhile, the Yanks have given chase with the Texas and another engine. They have to stop to get the telegraph pole out of the way. Annabelle takes what is left of the rope, and ties it across the track between two young pine trees. Johnnie almost leaves without her. When she shows Johnnie what she has done, he demonstrates how ridiculously flimsy it is. But the Yanks are coming, and they scramble into the engine cab and start off. The rope pinions the soldiers riding the "Texas" and the two trees are uprooted and get caught up in the siderods. Annabelle's arrangement has succeeded in forcing the pursuers to stop once more.Johnnie knocks out the whole back wall of the boxcar. The Yanks have to stop again to clear it off the track. He slows them down by tossing all the freight onto the track out the open back. In the cab, the Union officer is just regaining consciousness. Johnnie returns just in time, knocks him out with a well-aimed log, and takes his pistol.They stop at a water tank. Johnnie does not notice he has pulled the spout away from the supply pipe. When he opens the valve, Annabelle is knocked down by the deluge. He replaces the spout, and she gets more water over her. They leave, the water still flowing, and it drenches the officers on both the chasing trains.Annabelle feeds the fire. She sees a log with a big hole in it, and rejects it, tossing it out of the cab. Johnnie can't believe it. The Yanks plan to couple to the rear of the boxcar. Annabelle sweeps the cab; Johnnie tosses the broom. Annabelle feeds the fire with kindling; Johnnie picks up a sliver and hands it to her. She tosses it in the firebox. He shakes her, then kisses her.The Yanks catch up, and couple to the rear of the boxcar. At the forward end, Johnnie uncouples it. The Yanks fire at him. They switch the boxcar into a siding, then back out onto the main track. The second train smashes into them, knocking down officers. They just get re-seated when the train starts with a lurch, and they tumble again.Johnnie fastens a chain between the tender and some switch points. He has Annabelle start the engine, and the chain deforms the switch points. But Annabelle cant stop the engine. Johnnie runs downhill to meet her where the track passes below, but she gets the locomotive reversed, and he has to scramble back up the hill. They meet the Yanks at the broken switch, where the two Yank trains end up on an elevated spur track, smashing again, allowing Johnnie and Annabelle to get away.Johnnie sticks the end of a fence rail in the fire. He stops in the middle of the Rock River bridge, and piles firewood on the ties behind the tender. Meanwhile, the Yank officers can't figure out how to fix the switch so they can continue the pursuit, and a Union army is approaching the rendezvous at the bridge. Johnnie pours kerosene from the headlamp onto the firewood. Annabelle knocks the burning fence rail off the tender, and Johnnie is trapped on the far side of the fire in the middle of the bridge. He jumps over the fire just as Annabelle moves the engine forward, and Johnnie falls through a gap into the river.The Yank officers are still ineptly dealing with the broken switch. Johnnie hails a Confederate picket, and is fired at. Annabelle points out that he is still wearing the Yankee uniform, so he changes. They pull into Marietta, with the whistle blasting, and Johnnie runs to the Division Headquarters to warn them of the attack. The General leads the army out of town, and Johnnie and Annabelle find themselves in the middle of a stampede of traffic. Annabelle sees her wounded father, and Johnnie is left in the deserted street. He finds a sword belt and pistol, straps them on, and follows the army.The Yank officers are still trying to fix the switch. A locomotive engineer pushes his way through them and does a neat, quick fix using an ax. The two engines reach the Rock River bridge at the same time as the Union army arrives. The General says, "That bridge is not burned enough to stop you, and my men will ford the river." The "Texas" proceeds onto the bridge, the span collapses, and the engine crashes into the river.The Confederates surprise the Union army, and a fight begins. Johnnie is near an officer, and he imitates his commanding gestures, but his sword keeps coming apart. He stands near a gun battery, where a sharpshooter keeps picking off the artillerymen. Finally Johnnie's broken sword is effective. At his commanding swing, the blade comes off again and spears the sharpshooter. Johnnie tries firing the unmanned cannon. He has to yank the firing lanyard so hard that the gun tilts straight up before firing. He retreats, but the shot lands in the river, blowing a dam. The surge of water catches the Yankee infantry in the river, forcing them to retreat. Johnnie directs the other artillerymen to fire at officers on the remaining train. They retreat, and the whole army retreats. Johnnie directs another shot that derails the last car, stopping the retreating supply train. Johnnie saves a battle flag, and mounts a rock, inadvertently stepping on an officer who was observing from a cleft.The victorious army marches back into town, with Johnnie among those leading. He peels off and sits on the rear of his locomotive. When he goes into the cab, he finds the forgotten Yank officer just waking up. He escorts him to Division Headquarters and hands him over to the General. After a brief explanation, the General has Johnnie remove the uniform that does not belong to him, as Annabelle and her father watch. The General then gives him an officers coat and the Yankees surrendered sword. He poses for Annabelle and is enlisted as a Lieutenant.Johnnie takes Annabelle to the General, and they sit together on the siderod. His kiss is interrupted by the need to salute a passing soldier . . . then another . . . and another. Then a whole regiment approaches, so Johnnie repositions so he can kiss Annabelle while he pumps his hand up and down in salute after salute. | entertaining, absurd, comedy, murder | train | imdb | `The General', which is set during the Civil War, is about a train engineer named Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton, of course) who tries to enlist in the Confederate Army .
Johnny's efforts to recover the General and to win back his girl's love become an unbelievably funny and action-packed series of events, as Johnny tries to go from being a sad-sack buffoon to being a hero.If you haven't watched many silent films, they demand a greater amount of attention than `normal' film there are no audio cues; and volumes can be spoken with a simple facial expression.
His timing, whether for a joke or for a tender moment, is absolutely impeccable.What's also great about `The General' is the sheer amount of stunts and physical humor a movie like this couldn't be made today.
His first certainty was that the production had to be "so authentic it hurts." He even insisted on using historically accurate narrow-gauge railroad tracks, which he found, along with appropriate landscapes, near the sleepy town of Cottage Grove, Oregon.Most importantly, the area had stretches of parallel tracks, which allowed scenes of Buster on his trainagilely scrambling over the cars, balancing on the roof to scan the horizon, chopping wood for the engine while armies pass unnoticed behind himto be filmed from another train running alongside.
The film never tries to be beautiful; its beauty is functional, just like the grave, masculine beauty of the locomotives and railroad bridges and Civil War uniforms.The General's narrative structure is as strong and uncluttered as its look.
He manages to steal it back and races it towards his own lines, pursued by the raiders in the Texas, who try to prevent him from carrying their battle plans to his own high command.The General is not Keaton's funniest film, but here he was going for quality over quantity in laughs.
A forlorn Buster sits on the crossbar of his train's wheels, so lost in thought he doesn't notice when the train starts to move, carrying him up and down in gentle arcs: stillness in motion.I agree with author Jim Kline who describes The General as Keaton's most personal film, the one that best captures his unique vision, spirit and personality.
It is "generally" (or should I pun and say "General Lee"?) said that the best comedy of the silent film career of Buster Keaton's career was his Civil War epic THE GENERAL.
In fact, the closest thing to his best sound film (or film that he influenced that was a sound film) was his work with Red Skelton in the comedy A SOUTHERN YANKEE, where he returned to a Civil War theme.THE GENERAL (as I mentioned in discussing the Disney film THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE) is based on the "Andrews Raiders" stealing of the Confederate locomotive "The General", and an attached train, which was used to damage tracks and bridges.
Because Keaton's family and girl friend (Marion Mack) see he is not enlisted, they believe he turned coward.Johnny eventually is the only person who tries to retake "the General" from the raiders, and the film has actually two chases in it - first Andrews and his men stealing the train, and then Keaton sneaking into Northern lines with Mack and retaking it.Along the way are many comic classic moments, such as Keaton carefully standing on the cowcatcher and carefully using physics to knock off broken wooden ties that might derail the train, or when (at a moment of dejection) Keaton sits on the connecting rod that links the trains wheels and finds himself pulled into the locomotive barn while in a sitting positions.
This was the latter's most famous performance - look at his reaction to the collapse.It must be regarded as Keaton's finest film, and certainly the best war comedy to come out in the silent period.
A title card tells us that Johnnie Gray (Keaton) has two loves in his life: his engine and his girlrespectively, The General and Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack).
One of the great masterpieces of cinema, Buster Keaton's "The General" combines inventive humor with terrific action and fine melodrama, all beautifully and carefully planned and photographed.
The General is a silent comedy (mostly slapstick) about Johnny Gray, a train engineer with two loves: his engine and Annabelle Lee. Annabelle soon dumps him because of his failure to enlist into the Civil War (they would not take him because he was too valuable as an engineer).
After the war has started, the girl is kidnapped by some Union raiders on Keaton's train, and so begins the greatest (and funniest) chase ever filmed.
As a silent film, The General must rely mainly on images for its humor-the slapstick images of Johnnie falling over constantly, the unusual image of Johnnie riding up and down on the crossbar between the train wheels, the stereotype exploitation in the scene when the girl sweeps out the locomotive.
Johnnie sets off after the two loves of his life.Great comedy from the silent era, directed and starring one of the greatest comedy directors and actors of that era, Buster Keaton.
Despite what most critics say, Buster Keaton made funnier, better films than this.Keaton, a lifelong railroad buff, is engineer Johnny Gray, captain of "The General," a locomotive which carries passengers and freight across the American South.
Compared to other Keaton comedies, it feels a bit strait-jacketed by that."The General" is still a solid thrill comedy with some amusing one- liners ("If you lose this war, don't blame me," Johnny yells after being rejected) and brilliant sight gags, like the fussy Annabelle's rejection of unattractive firewood while Buster struggles to stoke the engine.To me, that's enough for "The General" to be another good reason for loving Buster Keaton.
And The General, even clocking in at around three hours, is surprisingly watchable based on his physical performance alone.Granted, I still admit that I prefer the silent clowns in shorts, because it can be a bit exhausting to watch them in an entire feature, especially since they are often strings of vignettes thrown together and my modern brain prefers to edit out everything that's unnecessary, but some of the joy in these films is found in those very moments.
There are multiple points in the General, a story about a Southern engineer that has to rescue his beloved from the clutches of the North in the Civil War, where Keaton's character, Johnnie Gray, has to stop his train, jump out, and remove something from the tracks, which in itself can be quite boring, but the way that Keaton injects physical comedy into those moments keeps me entertained.And it's a marvel how so many realistic, yet comedic stunts that Keaton could come up with.
There are many instances of silent films/comedies, seen with Charlie Chaplin, prime Laurel and Hardy and with Buster Keaton.Keaton is seen as one of the greats by many but for some reason doesn't seem to be quite as well known, even with a just as good reputation critically, as Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy (who transitioned better into sound maybe), when at his best in the 1920s (an extraordinary period with a deservedly lauded reputation) he was every bit as great, as funny and as likeable.
There are some truly wonderful scenes in this film, which is full of adventure, comedy, and some pretty impressive stuntwork on moving trains by Buster Keaton and the other actors.
Buster Keaton plays the lead in this silent era masterpiece that takes its inspiration from the Great Locomotive Chase, which in turn was a real event during the American Civil War in which a train was stolen by the North and sped over the lines in preparation for the coming offense.The General has some definitive upsides working in its favour.
Needless to say I wanted to view the movie, to see how you could make a comedy out of a story which for some people was a tragedy.As I viewed the movie I found that the first part of it was historically correct from the point where the engineer (Buster Keaton) and passengers went into the train station for breakfast and the union spies stole the train.
The rest I have already told you about.I am not allowed to list my url but if you Google 'the great locomotive chase fplum' you can go to my website and read the full story (twice actually) as well as see pictures of Marion Ross, the monument to Andrew's Raiders at the Chattanooga National Cemetery, Marion's Medal of Honor (First Army Soldier to be awarded posthumous), and The General.However the movie departs from history when Buster starts tearing apart the rail car and stops for water (another fine Keaton stunt with the water hose) and they do not get captured.
"The General" is set during the Civil War and features Buster Keaton as a Confederate chain engineer chasing after Union soldiers that steal his train.
Keaton risked life and limb performing many amazing and dangerous practical stunts on and around the moving train that provided for a great spectacle but without a strong story and strong characters the film becomes little more than a series of spectacular but meaningless stunts.
There is certainly a place for comedy in the horrors of war, as Chaplin brilliantly demonstrated in The Great Dictator(1940), but Keaton's failure to show any of the depth of the historic events of the time left me unsatisfied and a bit annoyed by the treatment of the US Civil War. I have a hard time understanding the near universal praise for The General(1926), to me the picture is akin to a modern film that has incredible action scenes but zero story..
Buster Keaton starred in and directed this silent film about Johnny Gray (Keaton), an engineer who through a series of misadventures becomes a Confederate war hero during the US Civil War. For the most part this is a fun story, with some solid comedy and even a few suspenseful moments (and, surprisingly, not a bad battle scene thrown in near the end.) The early special effects were also pretty well done - particularly the scene where the Rock River Bridge collapses, and the Union train that was crossing it plunges into the river far below.
He chose to make the ultimate train movie – his comic masterpiece 'The General'.The narrative of The General has its basis in fact, with Keaton drawing inspiration from an incident during the Civil War that saw Union spies steal a locomotive and escape north with southern soldiers in hot pursuit.
In The General, a good-hearted train engineer Johnnie Gray (Keaton) runs afoul of a Yankee plot and is soon called into action when his beloved locomotive 'The General' is hijacked by spies with the girl of his dreams, Annabelle, on board.
Johnnie pursuits it straight through enemy lines single-handedly, determined to win back his train, his girl, and his pride.Buster Keaton's films have such a graceful perfection, such an interlocking of story, character and episode that they unfold like music.
In a day when doing production on a big scale was difficult, The General succeeds in bringing us massive crashes, great little things here and there for Keaton to use to get us to smile and of course a fantastic use of slow moving trains(who knew trains going 10mph could be so fun).I went into watching the movie with high expectations; after all it seems everybody who see's this comes off with a sense of them seeing something amazing.
The story is set in the American civil war of the 19th century, we see Buster Keaton as a train engineer turned down by the Confederacy because he is just too important in what he is doing (but no one bothers to tell him that).
Buster Keaton's silent comedy classic "The General" (1926) is a film that went ignored for a long time.
So "The General" is the name of the train and not of our hero Buster Keaton who is named as Johnnie Gray.The storyline is pretty simple, it's a lover's test to prove his love.
The appeal of The General may lie in its ability to take you back to what it would have been like in frontier America, its remarkable visual beauty (incredible cinematography), or possibly Keaton's trademark operatic stunts, the climax of this movie which is one of his most impressive (the famous bridge scene was the most expensive shot in all of silent cinema).But the thing which makes this and all Keaton films a joy to watch is the irrepressible charm and appeal of his onscreen persona.
The appeal of The General may lie in its ability to take you back to what it would have been like in frontier America, its remarkable visual beauty (incredible cinematography), or possibly Keaton's trademark operatic stunts, the climax of this movie which is one of his most impressive (the famous bridge scene was the most expensive shot in all of silent cinema).But the thing which makes this and all Keaton films a joy to watch is the irrepressible charm and appeal of his onscreen persona.
Train chasing during the civil war in America, a comedy that deserves at least 7/10 at today's standards, and considering that this is a silent film from 1926...9/10.
That, and I can never get enough trains on film!Keaton plays "Johnny Gray," a railroad engineer who signs up for the Confederate army when the Civil War breaks out.
Keaton made sure that everything looked and felt as realistic as possible, using photographs by Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, paintings, histories, everything he could get a hold of.Overall, most of the film is sort of a slow-motion chase, with plenty of funny gags along the way; despite the film's length, it never has a slow moment.Unlike most silent-era comics, Buster's acting was subtle and underplayed.
Excellent late-silent era film has Buster Keaton (in probably his finest role) starring as a train engineer during the U.S. Civil War in the South.
Overall Keaton's unique personality in silent movies and his amazing physical comedy prowess makes "The General" easily one of the top 10 films of the 1920s.
Buster Keaton is a railroad engineer in the Civil War South who is rejected by the draft board but finds himself chasing--or being chased--by Union soldiers who have stolen his train.
THE GENERAL isn't the military rank of Keaton's on screen character, but actually one of the two loves of his life: his locomotive called The General; and his girlfriend, Annabelle Lee (Marian Mack).In a prologue that begins in Marietta, Georgia, in the year 1861, Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is a train engineer who finds time to court Annabelle Lee (Marian Mack).
After saving Annabelle and retrieving his own locomotive, the chase resumes in reverse when Johnnie finds himself being pursued by the enemy, later climaxed by a well staged gun battle with the Confederate Army by his side.What makes THE GENERAL so essentially remarkable is that it's a straight forward story based on fact, and listed among one of the greatest comedies of all time.
Reportedly filmed on location and not in a studio back-lot, THE GENERAL captures the period flavor from the Civil War era, providing laughter in what would not be common place for comedy.Also seen in the supporting cast are Charles Smith as Annabelle's father; James Farley as Captain Thatcher; Frank Hagney as the Recruiting Officer; and Joe Keaton as a Confederate Officer.THE GENERAL, hailed as Buster Keaton's personal favorite of all his movies, which was not critically acclaimed at the time of its release, became one of 13 selected feature films shown on public television's 1971 presentation of THE SILENT YEARS, hosted by Orson Welles, with a copy print from the Paul Killiam collection and piano score by William P.
Buster Keaton stars in this 1927 silent masterpiece as a confederate railroad engineer who goes after and gets a pivotal train from up north and gets the girl loses the girl..and gets her again..An absolute perfect movie that will have you smiling and laughing at its man versus machine scenes along with the sight gags and the genius of Buster KeatonOn a scale of one to ten..10.
Buster Keaton's ability to bring to life a character that tickles the audiences' funny bones, while at the same time conceive of thousands of camera angles and shots that match most professional filmmakers present day, as well as, stunts and action sequences that appeal on a grazioso scale, make this film a definite must-watch now and for its own time period, makes it, understandable, one of the greatest films of all time..
'The General', starring Buster Keaton who also co-wrote and co- directed the film, is a hilarious comedy, which is often more subtle and deadpan than you might expect from one of its age.
General, The (1927) **** (out of 4) Buster Keaton plays a Southern engineer who has two loves in his life-- his train and his girlfriend Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack).
Although I will always lean more towards Chaplin's films, The General entertains with the best of them and is one of the all-time classics.+Iconic train chase, pure entertainment +Keaton is full of laughs +Even with it being nearly 100 years old +Short and to the point..-..Just a bit of a slow start 8.8/10.
It is not a comedy like some of Buster Keatons other films though.
Better yet, Keaton comes up with some of the best physical comedy of all time, performing some of the greatest stunts you'll ever see on a moving train.
"The General" (1927) directed by Buster Keaton as a silent movie it concerns within care about a train that crosses the line of fire between Yankees and confederates during the Secession war.
This delightful Buster Keaton comedy is probably his best known film.In "The General," Keaton plays Johnnie Gray, engineer on the train that gives the film its name. |
tt1078912 | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | When the Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, the museum pieces are moved into federal storage at the famous Washington Museums. The centerpiece of the film will be bringing to life the Smithsonian Institution, which houses the world's largest museum complex with more than 136 million items in its collections, ranging from the plane Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) flew on her non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic and Al Capone's (Jon Bernthal) rap sheet and mug shot to Dorothy's ruby slippers, Fonzie's jacket from Happy Days, the still from M*A*S*H and Archie Bunker's lounge chair from All in the Family. After stealing a security guard's ID badge, Larry (Ben Stiller) slips into the Archives of the Smithsonian, where Kahmunrah, an evil Pharaoh will come to life with the reestablishing of a tablet as a magical force in the museum bringing the old exhibits (Such as Theodore Roosevelt and Dexter) and new exhibits (like General Custer and Al Capone) back to life, and in conflict with each other. Larry enlists the help of Amelia Earheart, who he develops a romantic interest in, and together they try to put everything back in order. -sunshine-161Two years after Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) defeated the three night guards plotting to steal The Tablet, he is now head of Daley Devices, a company that he founded to manufacture his inventions. These inventions, including the Glow-in-the-Dark Flashlight, were created from his experiences as a former night guard. He finds that the American Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, and some of the museum pieces are being replaced by interactive holograms. The actual exhibits are moved to the Federal Archives at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. On the last night, Larry meets the museum pieces such as Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Rexy the Tyrannosaurus Skeleton, and Dexter the Capuchin Monkey (Crystal the Monkey) and finds out that several exhibits, including Teddy, Rexy, the Easter Island Head (Brad Garrett), and good Pharoah Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) and his Tablet are not moving to The Smithsonian Institution - without the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, the other exhibits will no longer be animated. The next night, Larry gets a call from Jedediah (Owen Wilson), saying that Dexter stole the tablet last midnight and evil Pharaoh Kahmunrah (Hank Azaria), Ahkmenrah's older brother, is attacking them. Larry goes to Washington and visits the National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Castle to find the Federal Archives with the help of his son Nick (Jake Cherry).
Larry sneaks into the archives and locates the exhibits, frozen in the middle of a battle with Kahmunrah and his troops, who are trying to lock the exhibits in a crate. Larry gets hold of the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, which had been stolen by Dexter, just when the sun sets and all the exhibits come alive again. Kahmunrah and his troops lock the crate and take the Tablet from Larry, and he tells Larry that bringing the exhibits to life is just one of the tablet's powers - he intends to use it to raise an army from the underworld and conquer the world. Larry escapes with the help of General George Armstrong Custer (Bill Hader), who gets captured, and meets Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams), who is thrilled at the prospect of adventure and accompanies Larry.Larry and Amelia then go through an assortment of paintings and trap Kahmunrah's men in one. Meanwhile, Kahmunrah is able to recruit black and white agent Al Capone (Jon Bernthal), evil Russian emperor Ivan The Terrible (Christopher Guest) and French Ruler/General Napoleon Bonaparte (Alain Chabat) to help him capture Larry in return for sharing the world with him when he conquers it. Custer is locked up with the other exhibits from the American Museum of Natural History, and while he conceives a poor plan of attack (he will scream "Attack!" and the exhibits will jump out and attack), Jedediah and Octavius (Steve Coogan) sneak out to help Larry.
Larry and Amelia are captured and taken to Kahmunrah. Kahmunrah then attempts to activate the tablet to open the gates of the underworld by pressing the symbols on the tablet, only to find out that the combination has been changed. He orders Larry to decipher the tablet's riddle and figure out the new combination before sunrise, and traps Jedediah in an hourglass to hasten his attempts. Larry and Amelia consult a bust of Teddy who says that the answer is in the heart of the pharaoh's tomb. The duo then consult The Thinker, but he gets distracted by a beautiful statue of a woman. Finally, at the National Air and Space Museum, they consult a group of Albert Einstein bobbleheads who tell them that the answer to the riddle (and hence the new combination) is pi. Larry and Amelia fly the Wright Flyer back to the Museum of Natural History, and Amelia goes for help while Larry delays Kahmunrah. Capone, Napoleon and Ivan arrive and tell him the code, and he opens the gates of the underworld and summons an army of bird-men. Suddenly, the statue of Abraham Lincoln from the Lincoln Memorial bursts through the window, frightening the bird-men back to the underworld. Amelia arrives, having freed the other exhibits, and Custer orders them to attack. Larry duels Kahmunrah with his flashlight, defeating him and then pushing him through the gate, which banishes him to the underworld forever.
Amelia flies Larry and the other exhibits back to the American Museum of Natural History, where Teddy welcomes him back, and Larry assures him he has a way for them to remain there. Larry and Amelia say goodbye and kiss before Amelia flies away, leaving Larry outside the museum. Some time later, it is revealed that Larry sold his company and donated the money to the museum to pay for Audio-Animatronics exhibits - since the museum now opens late, the exhibits can come to life under the guise of animatronically animated exhibits, including Teddy as a tour guide, Ahkmenrah and Dexter displaying the Tablet, and Attila as a storyteller. Larry is rehired at the museum as the night guard, and meets a young woman who looks just like Amelia. The film concludes as they talk and walk off as Larry guides her toward the hall of miniatures. During the credits, a man from a black and white photo of V-J day in Times Square is seen examining Larry's Blackberry cell phone, which Larry left in the photo, and makes a new discovery (for his time period). His mother calls him, and it is revealed that his name is Joey Motorola. [D-Man2010] | whimsical, boring, historical | train | imdb | null |
tt4425200 | John Wick: Chapter 2 | In the opening scene, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) heads to a warehouse owned by Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare) to get his car back. Abram wants payback against John for killing his brother Viggo and nephew Iosef. John is killing all of Abram's guards before he finally gets to his car. As he drives away, a whole mess of Abram's goons start attacking John. His car gets banged up, and the henchmen slam into John with their cars, but the man is persistent and easily kills all the goons before making his way to Abram's office. John simply pours Abram and himself a drink. He chooses to spare Abram in a peace offering. Abram questions John as to whether or not he can actually find peace.John returns home to the still unnamed dog he took at the end of the first movie. He calls Aurelio (John Leguizamo) to come pick up the car, which is a total wreck. Still, Aurelio claims he can fix it. After he leaves, John reburies his weapons beneath cement, as he feels he is done with the assassin life. He watches a video on his phone of himself and his late wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan)Later that night, John is visited by another assassin named Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio). He presents John with a marker that John gave him, which is essentially a blood oath used to get out of the assassin life when he decided to be with Helen. Santino wants John to kill his sister Gianna (Claudia Gerini), who is set to ascend to the High Table, a group of powerful assassins. John refuses, despite knowing full well what will happen if he does so. Santino leaves John's house and then grabs an RPG launcher to destroy John's house. Thankfully, the dog survives this time.John goes to the Continental hotel to meet with Winston (Ian McShane) to discuss the marker and what Santino has requested of him. Winston cannot do anything about it since John took the oath, and if he continues to refuse it, his life will be up for grabs. John then heads off and leaves the dog in the care of the hotel's concierge, Charon (Lance Reddick).John heads off to Rome to complete the task. He stays at the Continental there, owned by Julius (Franco Nero). John then meets with several people to get the weapons he needs to kill Gianna.John attends a party that is basically Gianna's "coronation". She is accompanied by her loyal bodyguard Cassian (Common). John confronts Gianna alone. He tells her that Santino sent him. She chooses to die on her own terms and slits her wrists. Gianna lays in a pool as she dies. John holds her hand and puts a bullet in her head to make it look like he killed her.Cassian spots John as he is leaving. Knowing John is working again, Cassian tries drawing his gun on John, but John is faster. He gets away and starts killing the other hitmen that go after him when they find out Gianna is dead. John shoots them all dead as he gets away. Cassian catches up to him and fights him up until they crash through a window of the Continental. Since no blood may be spilled on Continental grounds, John and Cassian sit at the bar to calm their nerves with drinks. John explains the marker and that Santino sent him to kill his sister. Cassian understands but also cannot allow his ward's killer to go unpunished. He pays for John's drink and leaves. John then spots Ares (Ruby Rose), Santino's mute bodyguard. She lets him know through sign language that she'll be seeing him.As John is heading back to New York City, Santino puts out a $7 million contract to kill John. The contract goes out to all the hidden assassins in the area. A female violinist in the subway pulls out a gun from the violin and tries to kill John, but he subdues her and breaks her neck. A heavyset Asian man goes after John and gets his brains blown out. Two men in the subway try to get in on it, and John brutally kills them with a PENCIL. Cassian finds John as he gets on the subway and fights him in the train. John stabs Cassian and pushes the knife into his aorta. He tells Cassian that if he pulls the knife out, he will bleed to death. John leaves Cassian on the subway. John runs into an assassin posing as a homeless man and asks for help as two assassin janitors go after John. The homeless assassin kills the janitors.John goes to seek sanctuary from the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), an assassin that once had a run-in with John and was left with a scar on his neck. John spared him, and so now the BK sees himself as unbreakable. He also knows of the bounty on John's head. With BK's help, John is able to locate Santino's whereabouts.John heads to a museum where Santino is set to take his place at the High Table. John crashes the shindig and starts going after all of Santino's men. John chases Santino through a hall of mirrors before having to fight Ares. John manages to stab Ares and leave her to die.Santino rushes to the Continental to seek refuge, knowing that he can't be touched there. John finds him in the lounge. Winston knows what John is about to do and tries to calm him down. Still, John blows Santino's brains out. He then goes to pick up his dog from Charon.The next day, John goes with his dog to meet with Winston at the park. Winston informs John that because he killed on Continental grounds, the High Table has doubled the contract and sent it to every assassin across the globe. Winston must mark John as excommunicado, but he gives him one hour before the contract takes effect. It then becomes evident that every single person in the park is an assassin, and they have their eyes on John. John tells Winston to let everyone know that if they go after him, he will kill them all. Winston agrees. John leaves as Winston puts the word out. Every passing person looks at John, knowing who he is and what they want from him. John is forced to take the dog and keep on running. | comedy, suspenseful, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, revenge | train | imdb | null |
tt0049516 | The Mole People | The film opens with a brief lecture by Frank Baxter. He is a Professor of English at the University of Southern California. He explains that there are just a few areas left on Earth that are unknown and briefly describes a few theories that postulate there may be places deep under the surface of the Earth where man can survive.In Asia an archeological dig has discovered something. Dr. Roger Bentley (John Agar) and Prof. Etienne Lafarge (Nestor Paiva) expose a stone tablet. They take it back to their tent to clean and examine it. We are introduced to Dr. Jud Bellamin (Hugh Beaumont) and Dr. Paul Stuart (Phil Chambers) who ask Bentley to translate the find: it may be related to the story of Gilgamesh and Ishtar. An earthquake rattles the area and the tablet is broken. This puts their work a month behind schedule. A small boy discovers something the earthquake brought down a mountain and brings it to Bentley. He cleans it and it is revealed to be an ancient oil lamp. The inscription is translated as a pre-biblical Noah's Ark story. The party of scientists set off for the mountain where the artifact originated before it was dislodged by the earthquake.They set up base camp and plan their final assault on the mountain the next day. A storm hits the base camp that evening. As they set off the next morning an avalanche brings down an arm from a statue. They continue climbing and discover the ruins of an ancient Sumarian civilization on a small plateau. They estimate the ruins are 5,000 years old. While Dr. Stuart walks around the ruins he falls down through an opening. The rest of the party goes down on ropes to save him. Bentley leads the way, followed by Lafarge, who is much older than the rest. Bellamin is third down the opening followed by Nazar (Rodd Redwing). After dropping down about 200 feet Bentley finds Stuart, but he died in the fall. Nazar notices a loose piton and hammers it secure, but that triggers a rockfall and he is killed and the three archeologists are trapped.They start searching for a way out, but Lafarge is experiencing breathing problems. He is also claustrophobic, They wander through the cave and discover a light source, which reveals a large underground city. They notice a very large tablet that informs them they have discovered the temple of Ishtar. They bed down for the night, but a lizard creature (a mole person?) digs up to the surface to spy on the three. A short time later, the party is attacked, sacks are placed over their heads, and they are pulled underground. They awake in a cave and Lafarge has claw marks on his chest. Two very pale white representative of the human underground civilization suddenly appear and direct they follow them. The scientists are escorted back to the city and presented to the High Priest, Ilinu (Alan Napier) who is performing a ritual. Ilinu immediately suspects the strangers and tells the king that they are evil. The king questions the three archeologists. At the conclusion of the questioning the high priest sentences them to death.The three escape into a cave, with guards in hot pursuit. Bentley shines his flashlight in the face of the First Officer (Robin Hughes) who cringes and retreats. It seems the light hurts their eyes. The three return to the city and shine their flashlight on the King and High Priest and they also retreat. The inhabitants of the city are albino, adapted to a world without sunlight. A lizard creature pulls the body of one of the guards underground. Seeing this, Lafarge panics and runs back into one of the caves. Bentley and Bellamin follow and discover a slave labor camp where the lizard creatures are forced to cultivate the food source--mushrooms. The guards whip their charges, which particularly incenses Bentley. Laforge is attacked and killed by a lizard creature, but is driven off by the flashlight before he can eat Laforge.Bentley and Bellamin return to the city and are met by the high priest along the way who tells them that they are welcome back to the city since they "possess the divine fire of Ishtar". The King is convinced they are holy messengers and are invited to a feast. One of the servers, Adad (Cynthia Patrick) drops her bowl of mushrooms, and is ordered whipped by the king. Bentley stops the punishment and is told not to interfere by the High Priest. Bentley helps her to her feet and notices she is not albino, but normally pigmented. The King presents Adad as a gift to Bentley. The High Priest explains that she is not human (like them) but a "marked one". The King and Priest further explain that when the population gets too large the excess are sacrificed in the fire of Ishtar.Bentley and Adad talk about their respective worlds as the High Priest spies on them. The next day Bentley and Bellamin tour the city. Meanwhile the High Priest meets with his fellow priests and plots to get the flashlight. This will show the king that the strangers are not divine, but mere mortals.Bentley and Bellamin intercede when three lizard creatures are being beaten, but their flashlight batteries begin to fail. They free the lizard creatures. Food production has been reduced because the lizard creatures are rebelling against their mistreatment. The High Priest schedules another sacrifice. After a ritual dance three women are escorted into a brightly lit chamber, enter, and are locked in. When they open the chamber later, the charred remains are carried out on stretchers. The High Priest is shown the dead body of Laforge. The High Priest was told by Bentley that Laforge was called back to Ishtar, reinforcing the story of his divinity. The High Priest shows the body to the king and explains that he is mortal and asks the King for permission to kill Bentley and Bellamin. The King agrees. Bentley and Bellamin are drugged and arrested. Elinu takes possession of the flashlight. Adad escapes and is captured by the lizard creatures. Bentley and Bellamin are taken to the lighted sacrifice chamber and locked in. The lizard creatures attack the city in force and kill the inhabitants, including the King and High Priest.The lizard creatures break open the sacrifice chamber, but the light repels them. Adad isn't afraid of the light and joins Bentley and Bellamin on their ascent back to their world. They reach the top and get into warmer clothes. Another earthquake strikes the area, and Adad is killed when a stone pillar crushes her. The underground city is buried. | violence | train | imdb | The thing is, if you've seen a decent amount of horror/sci-fi films from the 50s and early 60s and haven't found much that you liked, "The Mole People" is not for you.
You're sent into what looks like an oven and you're burnt away to ashes.The film does a marvelous job in building up the viewers fears of the fires of Ishtar so in the end when the scientists are flung into it, we're scared witless.John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and Nestor Paiva are some of the scientists and the high priest of Ishtar is Alan Napier.
The story of archaeologists that discover an ancient underground society in Asia is entertaining but unfortunately the rushed conclusion is lame and gives the sensation that the budget ended and the film had to be interrupted.
It has one of my favorite "B" movie stars like John Agar and I thought Cynthia Patrick was pretty and charming.
It takes itself so seriously it even begins with a pseudodocumentary prelude explaining the hollow Earth theory.Part of the fun is seeing future TV faves Hugh Beaumont (Beaver's dad), and Alan Napier (Alfred the butler) teamed with legendary 50's hack actors John Agar and Nestor Paiva.Mystery Science Theater 3000 gave Mole People the full treatment and it was one of the funniest MST3K episodes ever.
it,s a lot better than I thought it was going to be.It stands up pretty good when compared to other 50,s shockers like "Tarantula" ."it came from beneath the sea" etc and has some genuine spooky moments .If you like 50,s monster / sci fi films .I recommend you give this one a chance although to my knowledge Universal have not released it on DVD,you may have to check out e bay for a copy or setttle for a VHS version.Well a lost classic in my opinion ,well worth hunting down!.
The film is quite fun to watch and the Mole People are a little on the wired side but nonetheless they looked good especially for the 50s!If you like the Universal Monsters movies then check this out soon!I think you'll like it!.
Basically, what this balding boffin is trying to say is that we have no idea what fantastic secrets might lie miles beneath our feet.The film starts proper in Asia, with a team of archaeologists, lead by Dr. Roger Bentley and Dr. Jud Bellamin (John Agar and Hugh Beaumont), discovering clues to a lost Sumerian civilisation that survived a terrible flood by building an ark, coming to rest on a mountaintop.
Unfortunately, when the albino guards find Lafarge's body and realise that the visitors are mortal, the good times quickly come to an end.As much fun as all of this sounds, The Mole People descends into mediocrity shortly after the archaeologists descend into the Earth, with albino high priest Elinu (Alan Napier) plotting to seize power from his king making for unremarkable viewing, and the heroes' quest to find a way back to the surface proving rather repetitive.
The mole people themselves are fun looking creatures, with creepy eyes and shovel-like hands equipped with huge (rubbery) claws, but they are given little to do for much of the time except cower and hide from their cruel masters.
Gorgeous blonde Patrick provides some welcome eye-candy, but meets an abrupt ending, her demise apparently demanded by meddling studio execs who weren't comfortable with the film's implied interracial relationship.To summarise, The Mole People is mindlessly entertaining but unremarkable sci-fi/horror schlock.
Virgil Vogel directed this science fiction story about a group of archaeologists(played by John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and Nestor Paiva) who uncover an ancient temple after an earthquake that leads to an underground passage that opens to a lost and isolated culture ruled by high priests(Alan Napier plays the leader) who are very suspicious of the outsiders, until they discover they have the power of projecting light(their flashlight!) which makes them honored guests.
Some of them have some pretty priceless dialogue to recite (you could play a drinking game for every time the name "Ishtar" is uttered).As many genre movies of this period did, this one begins with exposition, as a scientist named Frank Baxter educates us on various theories as to what exists below the surface of the Earth.
They also discover the "mole men" beasts that these people treat as slave labour.Agar is well supported by actors such as beautiful Cynthia Patrick, playing the "marked one" Adad, Hugh Beaumont as Dr. Jud Bellamin, Alan Napier as the evil priest Elinu, and the always engaging Nestor Paiva as Professor Lafarge.
Overall, the movie is pretty original, and very enjoyable.Starring John Agar (Shirley Temple's first husband), Hugh Beaumont (the dad on "Leave It to Beaver"), and Alan Napier (Alfred on the 1960s "Batman").By "Asia" at the beginning of the movie, I'm guessing that they meant either the Middle East or Central Asia..
Charmingly silly and inconsequential monster movie has archaeologists in Asia discovering secluded mountain city run by snarling, villainous humans who have mole people as slaves.
But they press on, inspired by the quiet leadership of Agar.Thus enter the mole people, deformed creatures who look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a bad skin problem and beaks.
Frankly, I think that he'd be a messenger from a lower place than Heaven, but that's just my thought.Agar eventually becomes the John Brown of the Mole People, helping them to rebel against the guys in skirts who like to whip them just a LITTLE too much.
Agar, Beaumont, and a truly dumb slave girl named Adele escape the carnage by the attacking Mole people by climbing up a hole that leads to the surface.
Okay..so far the plot is pretty wild but interesting, but what happens when scientists three(John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and Nestor Paiva) get down to the place starts to crumble what little credibility the film might have had.
Then we get a story of John Agar and three other idiots discovering (in the middle of the Earth), a civilization of albino Sumarians (no, I'm not kidding) who use the title creatures as their slaves (again, not kidding).
Unfortunately, the latter stages when the surviving members of the group (including likable hero John Agar, a regular of Universal sci-fi outings) come face to face with an underground race of albinos and their mutant 'mole' slaves!
However, we're never told how the mutants evolved or, for that matter, just why a normal and inevitably beautiful girl should turn up among them after all this time (and whom they obviously consider a 'freak of nature'!).The supporting cast includes Nestor Paiva (like Agar and producer William Alland, a BLACK LAGOON alumnus) as the hero's elderly companion, who's panic-stricken in the presence of this alternate universe, and soon ends up a victim of the 'Mole People' thus exposing the intruders' essential mortality!
Though Alexander Golitzen's set design per se is impressive, the low-budget afforded the film is most evident during the very mild destruction of the underground city at the climax; the downbeat coda in which the heroine is stupidly killed was perhaps unwarranted, though.In the end, I wholeheartedly share the generally-held view that this one's "probably the worst of Universal-International's '50s sci-fi movies" (to quote Leonard Maltin)..
A group of scientists find passage into the core of the earth where they discover a society of people who have monstrous mole creatures for servants.Probably the lesser of the 50's monster movies from Universal, but it's enjoyable for those who enjoy these kind of campy era films.
Although this movie boasts a great cast (including Hugh "Ward Cleaver" Beaumont, Alan "Alfred the Butler" Napier, Nestor "Indeterminate Foreign Guy" Paiva, and John Agar, the patron saint of cheesy '50's sci-fi films), it isn't much of a movie.
In the case of "The Mole People," we had more fun lip-synching the actor's lines from the back of the house.This is not a really bad movie, simply a low-budget film representative of the time...and it was fun to see for a teenager.
John Agar went on to do low budget stuff (no, I mean lower than THE MOLE PEOPLE) like THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS which, whether he likes it or not, is the movie he will be most remembered for..
Virgil Vogel wouldn't be anyone's ideal choice for director, and screenwriter Laszlo Gorog's only other works were "The Land Unknown" and "Earth vs the Spider." Still, this studio produced better looking movies than AIP, Astor, or Allied Artists, and created the most famous monsters of the era, with the Mole People featured here, or the Metaluna Mutant from "This Island Earth." They definitely skimped by reusing the same Hyde design from "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" for both "Tarantula" and "Monster on the Campus," and apparently wrote this script around available stock footage, seemingly identical to the conception of "The Deadly Mantis." Dr. Frank Baxter spends nearly five minutes attempting to bring gravitas to the film, and it takes another half hour to arrive at the lost underground world of albino Sumerians, ruled by Sharu (Arthur D.
As the First Officer, whose job is to keep the slaves hungry, we have Robin Hughes, soon to be immortalized as the head in search of its body in Universal's 1958 "The Thing That Couldn't Die," and on television, playing the title role in THE TWILIGHT ZONE's "The Howling Man." The studio's 'B' unit finally petered out with "The Leech Woman," but over a span of 28 years were known to be horror's most dependable factory for classic monsters, introduced to TV viewers by such popular hosts as Bill 'Chilly Billy' Cardille, whose Chiller Theater in Pittsburgh aired "The Mole People" a total of 5 times: Nov 24 1973 (followed by second feature "X-15"), Dec 21 1974 (following first feature "The Black Castle"), Aug 2 1975 (following first feature "Black Widow"), Mar 26 1977 (followed by second feature "Curucu, Beast of the Amazon"), and Nov 5 1983 (solo)..
While attempting to discover the origin of an ancient artifact, archaeologists John Agar, Hugh Beaumont, and their team of extras (including that crusty boat captain from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON!), venture forth into the subterranean unknown, in search of a comrade, lost in a deep crevasse.
The Mole People features John Agar endlessly talking about things that he seems to think he knows about.
I liked how a flashlight became the only thing keeping them alive through most of the movie -- Mole People really hate light!To be avoided by everyone except John Agar fans..
I am not sure if any Nazis actually believed them, but the "hollow earth" idea is not unheard of, nor is the inside out earth.I like the whole concept of the Sumerians going underground, though I am a bit unclear how "mole people" developed.
Trying to discover a long-lost civilization, a team of explorers in a remote mountain valley find a mythical culture of people living underground from a race of deformed humanoid creatures and are forced to help their society return to it's former graces.This here was quite a decent if rather flawed effort.
Well, where to begin with a movie like "The Mole People"I had the pleasure of watching this movie with the aide of the cast of "Mystery Science Threatre 3000," explaining as to why I actually could sit through this picture.
Actually, if you get a chance, I recommend that episode of MST3k in particular, as it was one of my favorite episodes.In "The Mole People" Lazlo Galrog and Virgel Vogel proves his comic genius as he casts John Agar as the pompous archaeologist, who somehow comes off as attractive to the female star.
Bad "B" movie King John Agar leads a group of scientists to the Earth's core where they discover a group of evil albino men and a good group of mole people.
An albino race of people living under the surface of the earth (way down inside a mountain top), still worshiping the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar after the great flood, using the Mole People as slaves and easily destroyed by bright light - like the light of a flashlight!
The idea of an lost ancient civilization sealed away from the modern world by time and catastrophe and buried far underground is a powerful one (dating back to the Greek Hades/River Styx days), and there are elements of interest in the exposition and the plot - a slave race of mutants, a decadent people so accustomed to the dark that a flashlight is a source of overpowering pain, a society that must limit its numbers due to the limited food supply and sacrifices its youngest (and heretics) to the mysterious power found in a mystery chamber.Too bad this heady brew, which could have made for a powerful, disturbing experience in the hands of someone like Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore, was handled with the usual manner of an under-budgeted 50's B flick.
Although The Mole People isn't the best of Universal's 50's sci fi movies, I rather like it.A group of Archaeologists discover a strange world while exploring in a part of India.
As the movie progresses, most of the team gets killed and one of the survivors falls in love with a woman who happens to be down there as well, but this proves short lived as she is killed in the earthquake at the end in which the world is destroyed.The movie stars 50's sci fi regular John Agar (Tarantula, The Brain From Planet Arous) and Hugh Beaumont, Cynthia Patrick and Alan Napier.This movie is worth checking out.Rating: 3 stars out of 5..
An anthropological expedition in Tibet led by John Agar discovers both an ancient primitive race of pasty, light sensitive, superstitious albinos and the browbeaten, grotesquely unsightly burrowing mutants called the Mole People whom the albinos cruelly exploit as slave labor deep within the bowels of the earth.
Competently directed by Virgil Vogel, with a fanciful and intriguing script by Lazslo Gorog, handsome photography by Ellis Carter, admirably sincere acting from a solid cast (Agar is his usual reliably stalwart self while the lovely Cynthia Patrick makes for a charming heroine and Alan Napier has a grand time as an evil high priest), a steady, if less than stirring pace, nifty and impressive special effects (the matte paintings are beautiful), a properly eerie and claustrophobic atmosphere, funky monster make-up by Bud Westmore (the Mole People are truly gnarly-looking subhuman beasts), a rousing last reel revolt by the Mole People against their mean oppressors, and a surprisingly downbeat ending, this baby sizes up as a hugely enjoyable golden oldie fantasy horror picture..
Well, compared to John Agar, Beaumont is quite a bundle of energy in this film.A group of archaeologists find an underground civilization of albinos in Asia.
The albinos have enslaved the Mole People, who are subhuman brutes who wear dark jackets and pants.Agar and Beaumont are the only survivors of the archaeological expedition, and spend most of the film trying to find a way out of their underground prison.
Incredibly, the two have mystical powers courtesy of their flashlight, which intrigues the albinos to no end, because they can't stand its bright light.The last part of the movie is a blossoming romance between Agar and Adele (Cynthia Patrick), one of the few underground residents who has normal skin coloring, a few gory sacrifices, and a final, deadly revolt by the Mole People.
Yet, it works in a kitsch way, especially when the professor intones about the wonders of modern 'SCIENCE'- that catch-all phrase from the 50s, which could explain any monster, alien, mutation, or horror.Aside from its influence on later sci fi films, Agar gets off a great line that presages the 1960s, when he comments on the Sumerians' habits of eating mushrooms and wonders if they've ever smoked dried mushrooms.
Because they have lived under ground since ancient times and are look much like albinos, as it turns out their civilization was swallowed into the earth along with them.At first, everything seems just peachy, but later these underground people turn out to be major jerks who keep incredibly ugly creatures as slaves.
The Mole People starts in Asia where a team of archaeologists are busy at work doing archaeological stuff, a young boy brings top archaeologist Dr. Roger Bentley (John Agar) an old lamp with an intriguing inscription carved on it talking about the ancient god Ishtar.
Also living down there are the mutant Mole People but who should the archaeologists be more afraid of?Directed by Virgil Vogel this black and white Universal Pictures sci-fi monster film was probably better back when it originally came out in the mid 50's, watching The Mole People today (as I literally just did) I can't say I was that impressed with it although having said that it passes the time I suppose.
Archaeologist John Agar (Tarantula) and his team (Hugh Beaumont (Leave it to Beaver), Nestor Paiva (Creature from the Black Lagoon), and Phil Chambers) discover Sumerian albino civilization who worship Ashtar and are tormented by light.
"The Mole People" is another film in the Sci/Fi series from Universal Studios.
The effects are the same generic stuff you would expect in a movie at the time although the mole people as the film calls them are actually not that bad in terms of looks.
Virgil Vogel directs this Sci-Fi classic concerning two archeologists, Roger Bentley (John Agar) and Jud Bellamin (Hugh Beaumont), who discover an underground civilization of albinos deprived and fearful of sunlight making slaves of a populace of half-human, half-mole creatures.
Very low budget and the mole people are not very scary after a decent introduction.Cynthia Patrick plays Adad, a pretty outcast of the albinos, who is given away to Dr. Bentley, compliments of the High Priest (Alan Napier).
"The Mole People is another of the budget conscious sci-fi/horror films turned out by Universal in the 1950s. |
tt1321509 | Death at a Funeral | The film revolves around the funeral service for the father of Aaron (Chris Rock) and Ryan (Martin Lawrence). Aaron, the older son, and his wife Michelle (Regina Hall) live at his parents' home. Aaron and Michelle have been trying to buy their own home and have children but have been unsuccessful. Aaron envies Ryan because Ryan is a successful author, while he has not yet had his novel published, and resents his brother because Ryan would rather spend money on a first class airline ticket than help him pay for the funeral expenses.
Aaron and Ryan's cousin Elaine (Zoe Saldana) and her fiance Oscar (James Marsden) are on their way to pick up Elaine's brother Jeff (Columbus Short) before heading to the funeral. To ease Oscar's nerves, she gives him a pill from a bottle labeled as Valium. Jeff later reveals to Elaine that it is a powerful hallucinogenic drug he has concocted for a friend. Chaos ensues when Oscar hallucinates that the coffin is moving. He knocks it over, and the body falls out of the coffin.
Aaron is approached by an unknown guest, a dwarf named Frank (Peter Dinklage), who reveals himself to be the secret lover of his late father. Frank shows Aaron photos as proof and threatens to reveal them to Aaron's mother unless he is paid $30,000. Aaron tells Ryan, who suggests Aaron pay the money because Ryan claims he is buried in debt. When Aaron and Ryan meet with him to pay him, Frank starts to deride Aaron's ability as a writer and Aaron refuses to pay.
Frank begins to turn violent and puts his hand in his pocket, and tries to leave the room. Ryan attacks Frank and both Aaron and Ryan tie Frank up to prevent him from leaving. Norman (Tracy Morgan) comes in and sees what has happened. He gives Frank several doses of what he also believes is Valium to try to calm him down, before Jeff tells them it is the same hallucinogen Oscar took earlier.
While Jeff and Norman who are supposed to be watching Frank get distracted by Uncle Russell (Danny Glover), Frank frees himself from his bonds, jumps off the couch, and hits his head on the coffee table. With Aaron, Ryan, Jeff and Norman believing Frank is dead, they plan to put him in the coffin. While everyone is outside watching Oscar, who is now naked on the roof, threatening to jump because he saw Elaine's ex-boyfriend Derek (Luke Wilson) kissing her, Aaron and Ryan put Frank in the coffin.
Elaine tells Oscar that Derek forcibly kissed her and calms him down by revealing she is pregnant. With everyone back inside, they continue the eulogy. While Aaron awkwardly tries to give his speech, Frank shakes the coffin from inside it, then suddenly forces it open and emerges. The pictures fall out of his pocket, and Cynthia (Loretta Devine), Aaron and Ryan's mother, sees the pictures, screams at Frank, and starts to attack him. Aaron yells for everyone's attention as he delivers a moving and impromptu eulogy, saying that his father was a good man with flaws like everyone else.
The film ends with Aaron and Ryan saying goodbye while Ryan gets a ride to the airport by Martina, whom he had been trying to seduce all day. Aaron and Michelle are finally alone and going to try to have a baby. Aaron asks where Uncle Russell is and Michelle tells him that she gave him what she believes is Valium to calm him down. In the final scene Uncle Russell is on the roof naked, like Oscar had been, complaining about how "everything is so green". | comedy, entertaining | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0983193 | The Adventures of Tintin | Follows the unquenchably curious young reporter Tintin and his fiercely loyal dog Snowy as they discover a model ship carrying an explosive secret. Drawn into a centuries-old mystery, Tintin finds himself in the sightlines of Ivan Ivanovitch Sakharine, a diabolical villain who believes Tintin has stolen a priceless treasure tied to dastardly pirate named Red Rackham. But with the help of his dog Snowy, the salty, cantankerous Captain Haddock and the bumbling detectives Thompson & Thomson, Tintin will travel half the world, outwitting and outrunning his enemies in a breathless chase to find the final resting place of The Unicorn, a shipwreck that may hold the key to vast fortune - and an ancient curse.From the high seas to the sands of North African deserts, every new twist and turn sweeps Tintin and his friends to escalating levels of thrills and peril, proving that when you dare to risk everything, there's no limit to what you can do.__ Synopsis __After having a caricature drawn of himself by a local artist, Tintin (Jamie Bell) wanders through the town square. As he does so, he sees a miniature ship in a glass case, being sold by a local merchant. The miniature ship is called The Unicorn, and the merchant tells Tintin it was procured from an old sailor's estate sale.Tintin buys the ship for a pound, but just as he takes possession of it, a large man with an American accent appears, wanting to buy the boat. He offers to pay Tintin double what he paid for it, but Tintin refuses. The man appears shaken, and rushes off, telling Tintin to 'get out while you still can.'Just as he leaves, a thin man with a pointed beard shows up, and also attempts to purchase the miniature ship. He tells Tintin that the ship was purchased from the nearby Marlinspike Hall, which he has come into acquiring, and wishes to purchase the ship to return it to its former home. Even though he tells Tintin to "name his price," the young man again refuses, and walks off. As he leaves, the thin man asks the merchant if he knows who the young man is. "Everyone knows who he is," says the merchant. "That's Tintin."Returning to his apartment, Tintin's curiosity around the miniature ship is piqued, and he attempts to find a magnifying glass to examine it. However, a siamese cat enters the apartment, causing his dog Snowy to chase it around the room. During the chase, Snowy accidentally knocks the ship onto the floor, breaking its masts. As Tintin picks it up, he doesn't see a small metal cylinder fall out of the mast hole, and roll under the nearby table.Wanting more information, the two visit a maritime museum, where Tintin learns that the ship sank at sea, carrying rum and tobacco, but it was assumed that the ship (captained by Sir Francis Haddock), may have had a secret cargo aboard. It also makes note that after the loss of his ship, the captain believed that his family bloodline was now cursed.Returning to his apartment, Tintin is shocked to find that the model ship is gone! Assuming that it may have been taken by the thin man at the town square, Tintin sneaks into Marlinspike Hall. In a glass case, he finds a ship, but is knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he finds the thin man, and a butler. Tintin requests the return of his property, but is soon surprised to find that though the miniature ship is of The Unicorn, it is a different model, unbroken like his ship.As he is escorted out, the butler tells Tintin that he should make sure to check for 'all the pieces' of the ship he had.Returning to his apartment, Tintin is further shocked to find his place ransacked! Searching near the dresser where he placed the ship, he finds the metal cylinder underneath. He soon finds that it contains a scroll, with a message, and strange markings.As he puts the strange paper in his wallet, he hears his landlady Mrs Finch downstairs, arguing with a man who wants to come inside. Tintin comes downstairs, and through the chained front door, he finds that it was the American who wanted to buy the ship earlier in the day. The man seems more nervous than before, claiming that someone is killing others for information. When Tintin asks who, bullets rip through the door, and the man falls into the foyer, bleeding. Tintin rushes out into the street, just in time to see a blue sedan speeding away.Returning to the foyer, he finds the man unmoving, but a newspaper nearby has bloody fingerprints highlighting various letters.The next day, Tintin talks with the investigators of the murder, Thompson and Thomson. They claim the man is named Barnaby Dawes, and was working for the FBI. Tintin also tells of the newspaper he found, and that the letters highlighted seem to spell out "Karaboudjan."As the two investigators take leave, they caution Tintin about a pickpocket that's been going around, and after they take leave of Tintin's apartment, they have a small run-in with the pickpocket. He also bumps into Tintin, and the young man panics when he realizes that the strange paper he had is now gone! Thompson and Thomson vow to get his wallet back.Returning to his apartment, several large men are waiting for Tintin, and shove him in a crate. Snowy follows his master aboard a large cargo ship, named the Karaboudjan.Tintin is searched for the paper, and encounters the thin man, who reveals his name to be Sakharine. Sakharine claims he is looking for the paper Tintin had, and reveals that he has another just like it. Tintin claims he doesn't have the paper, and he and Snowy are locked up, as Sakharine and his men decide what to do next.Eventually, Tintin manages to escape through an exterior porthole on the ship, to another room. There, he encounters Captain Archibald Haddock (Andy Serkis). The Captain appears to be in a drunken yet angry stupor over the mutiny of his crew to Sakharine. Tintin agrees to help the Captain escape, and is surprised to find that he is related to the Haddocks of Marlinspike hall.Tintin tells Haddock about the scroll he found, and the rumor that only a Haddock can unlock the secrets of the Unicorn. Haddock claims his father told him a story on his deathbed, but has since forgotten it. When Tintin inquires about other relatives, Haddock claims that of three brothers, he is the last of the family members. This sticks in Tintin's mind as they escape the ship.On their way off, Tintin passes by the radio room, and overhears talk of 'The Milanese Nightingale,' and get coordinates to the ship's next location: Bagghar.Making their escape in a lifeboat, Sakharine sends two of his men in a seaplane to find them. Tintin manages to shoot the plane, damaging its engine, causing them to land. The two pilots are then trussed up, and Tintin is able to repair the plane, before he, Haddock, and Snowy pilot the plane towards Bagghar. However, a storm over a desert area causes the plane to crash, and the three find themselves walking across the desert.In the last throes of his alcoholic stupor, Haddock begins to hallucinate, and the buried memory of his father's story comes to life.Haddock then begins to relate the story of his ancestor, Sir Francis Haddock, Captain of the Unicorn. The ship was overtaken by pirates, led by a red-scarfed captin known as Red Rackham. Though the Unicorn was said to be carrying standard cargo, Rackham is sure there is more to the ship.Sir Francis allowed Rackham into the secret hold which contained treasure, but was incensed when Rackham went back on his word, and allowed the crew to be devoured by sharks. Sir Francis then blew up the Unicorn to prevent Rackham from getting the treasure. Escaping the wreck, Sir Francis was cursed by Rackham, who claimed they'd meet again, 'in another time, in another place.' It is now, that Haddock realizes that Sakharine is related to Red Rackham.At their last gasp in the desert, they are stumbled upon and rescued by patrolling soldiers who take them back to their desert fortress of Afghar. There they recover and after drinking a bit more alcohol, Haddock recalls the final bit of the story.After hearing this story, the three finally make it to Bagghar, where they are surprised to encounter Thompson and Thomson, who have recovered Tintin's wallet, along with the special paper.and enter the palace of Omar Ben Salaad, who is said to have a miniature of the Unicorn. Also on hand, is a performance by Bianca Castafiore, aka 'The Milanese Nightingale.' As her operatic voice fills the air, the special glass case the Unicorn model is in fractures, and Sakharine reacts, sending a falcon in to break open the ship's mast, and steal the last of the scrolls.A high-speed chase through the city follows, with Tintin eventually giving in to Sakharine's demands to give him the scrolls to avoid him drowning Haddock and Snowy.After the incident, Sakharine and his men leave on the Karaboudjan. Tintin is just about to give up, when he realizes that being in the ship's messaging room, he knows its signal, and they can report it to interpol, helping them track where it is going.The ship eventually enters port back where the adventure started. It is here (through the use of another seaplane), Tintin, Haddock, Snowy, and Thompson and Thomson are waiting to arrest Sakharine.However, Sakharine pulls a gun on the group, before getting into a nearby dock crane, and fighting Haddock in another, like two men wielding cutlasses. In the end, Sakharine gains the upper hand, and attempts to burn the three scrolls, before Tintin manages to recover them.As the sun rises over the docks, Tintin and Haddock line up the scrolls, and see that they contain coordinates. Following them, they end up at Marlinspike hall. There, Haddock mentions a certain cellar he used to remember when he was a little boy. They end up finding that the cellar was walled over by Sir Francis Haddock when he lost the house. They ram through the house's fake cellar and enter the second cellar.They find a statue of St.John the Evangelist, and Tintin remembers a line from the poem - "And then shines forth the eagle's cross". He deduces that St.John, in addition to being represented with an eagle, is also called the Eagle of Patmos, and so he IS the eagle.Near the statue, they find a globe, whereupon Haddock looks at it and remarks that it contains an extra island and that it must have been a mistake. Tintin says that it was no mistake, and that Sir Francis banked upon his descendant, a man who could look at a globe and could find if even one tiny island was out of place; a man who knew the seas like the back of his hand, could understand the clue.Haddock presses the tiny island on the globe, and it comes apart, revealing Red Rackham's treasure in it, along with Sir Francis' hat. As the captain wears the hat and says it's all over, Tintin finds another clue at the bottom of the hollow globe, with a clue to where the remaining treasure is located. Thus, Tintin and Haddock prepare for their next great adventure. | good versus evil, action, murder, storytelling, flashback | train | imdb | Spielberg and Jackson and all the team behind the adaptation obviously gave the original material the love and respect it deserved, while making it their own.To clarify the origins of the story itself, you have to know that it isn't the adaptation of one, but three Tintin comics.
Before his passing in 1983, Hergé said that if any filmmaker was to adapt his collection of timeless tales following the adventures of a Belgian reporter to the big screen, Steven Spielberg was the only man for the job, and after two decades of trial and error, the cinematic version of Tintin has finally reached our screens with the desired director at its helm.
Unlike Robert Zemeckis' motion-capture entries (The Polar Express [2004] and A Christmas Carol [2009]); The Adventures of Tintin is an entirely different bunch of blistering blue barnacles – every frame enforces impeccable detail and naturalism, and like the best animated pictures, viewers will forget they are watching digitalised representations in no time.
Whether the visuals are mind-blowing as in the all-important action sequences – or brilliantly subtle – like the red, sweat-streaked cheeks and brows of Tintin and Haddock as they trek through a desert – this film is a clear example of just how magnificent technology is in this day and age.Without a shadow of a doubt this is the year's finest animated entry – expect an Oscar nomination and a deserved win.
In fact, although The Adventures of Tintin is action-packed, its PG certificate is justified; I cannot recall anything remotely damaging or frightening for young eyes, so parents have nothing to fear with this one when deciding on their half-term picture.The film also sees the much needed return of composer John Williams who provides yet another dazzling and effective score.
Plus Snowy is absolutely wonderful.There is no doubt that Spielberg's adaptation will be top of the box office upon release and hopefully those new to Tintin will be influenced to re-visit the books and television shows of yesteryear and become more involved with one of the century's most beloved and important literary creations.Verdict: 'The Adventures of Tintin' is quintessentially the perfect family film and has plenty to offer audiences of all ages.
-There's literally a STORM of brain-waves (and here comes the Spielberg's touch); especially, in the connection phases between one scene and the other the director totally expresses his genius, turning the open ocean into a pond, making two shaking hands become dunes in the desert and so on (you'll understand what I mean when you'll watch the movie) -The 'camera's movements' literally pull you into the movie and you can't help feeling excited or scared according to the situation.You can tell it's a Spielberg's movie even just looking at these things.Although all the things I have listed until now are enough to candidate the movie as the best movie of the year (in my opinion) there's still something I must remember: The quality of animation.
What begins as a fun, nimble little mystery in the first act soon kicks into comedy-action-adventure high gear when junior reporter Tintin, with his brave dog Snowy, stumbles upon boozy Captain Haddock (an excellent Andy Serkis), whose family legacy may prove pivotal in a race to uncover the secret of the Unicorn.From that point on, it's more or less non-stop comedy—some fizzles, most of it works—with gags ranging from jaw-dropping blockbuster chase antics to throwaway background humour.
The plot is a by the numbers mystery/adventure/treasure hunt, complete with bumbling detectives (so-so comic support from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), exciting sea plane action and hidden clues, but it's brought to life in gorgeous visual style.
So I am assuming that these were aim at the adults watching.The characters the film makers can't chance much from the original Hergé comics, but Tintin I did find too goody goody, the captain is great character, who is drunk loser, but has a kind heart and wants to do the right thing.
The Adventures of Tintin thrives on its comic roots (as opposed to being hindered by them), and the seamless transition viewers are treated to finds our not- so-innocent hero—he is carrying a pistol, after all—globe-trotting between some truly spectacular action sequences that are directly reminiscent of Spielberg's actioners of old.The story we're presented with is a nifty little mixture of what I can only label a Holmes-esque detective story and a whip-crackin' adventure tale that—as many other critics have noted—takes some of its cues directly from Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are times where some of the action is a little too slapstick for my liking, but there's no getting around the fact that Spielberg once again showcases his bravado as a creator of ingenious thrill rides (the sort that, in my humble opinion, are often conspicuously absent in recent Hollywood fare).Where the movie stumbles is in its decision to have the rosy-cheeked Tintin dole out lessons on alcoholism to a blissfully out-of-touch sea captain who exists for little more than comic relief.
Even if you've never heard of the Tintin character, let alone read the classic Herge comics, this movie of his adventures is terrific from start to finish, complete with invigorating characters, dazzling effects (special and otherwise), exotic settings, and unabashed, wall-to-wall exhilaration and excitement.
As a fan of Hergé's comic book series, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg and Andy Serkis, this film was a must see for me.
It was fun, action packed, enjoyable, well made and had a great score by John Williams.The story's basically a bunch of Tintin comics merged in one epic adventure, but it's mostly based on 'The Secret of the Unicorn' (and possibly the sequel will be 'The Treasure of Red Rackham!) and it has some great little treats for the fan-boys.
The motion capture technology really delivered, the characters looked amazing, halfway into the movie I even forgot I was watching animation.Andy Serkis did a really good job, I loved him as Captain Haddock, who was my favorite character in the comics too.
I recommend it to those who are familiar with Hergé's series or are fans of Spielberg and Indiana Jones
or just great action-adventure movies in general..
Thats shallow and hysterical.3- The visuals are ugly, OK the sets are cool, but the problem is about the character who are really boring and unbearable.4- The music has no personality, its sad to see such a great guy as John Williams doing something so impersonal.Big disappointment made to please American audience, and sacrificing the original spirit of tintin.Even the little Belgium cartoon made on tintin which has not been made with thousands millions of dollars in early 90's is better, cooler, funnier, and more smart:.
There are some shots that stood out as looking spectacular in 3D, in particular a long corridor shot on the ship really impressed me.The direction is also great, throughout the many set-pieces in the film, Spielberg's hand guides us through these scenes with flair, and you can tell he's taken advantage of the format with some wonderfully creative shots.On to the negative, and in my opinion they outweigh the positive.The film feels jumbled and at times I felt like I was dragged kicking and screaming into the next bombastic and usually unnecessary set-piece.
While those who have read and loved Tintin would immensely enjoy every frame of the movie, those who are being introduced to the Character the first time around are likely to miss a few things here and there.Yes, Tintin is brilliantly swashbuckling, and Haddock amazingly entertaining, but the story seems a trifle hurried while the pacing in some sequences in patchy.What deserves a 10 on 10 however is the way Red Rackham's tale is woven into the story and how it was so evocatively presented, along with reference to a few characters which paved the path for any sequels that would be forthcoming.Top marks to Spielberg an Jackson for sticking to the books even while weaving an original story line!
In a word, the original work's spirit is completely lost here: Tintin is about mystery, reality (I stress on this: Tintin is one of the few comic book characters that feels real) and humanity, but Spielberg's interpretation is all about some stupid and unreal action and some annoying 3D techniques, plus, a camera that moves and moves and rotates around the characters over and over!
This Motion-capture action movie of the popular "Tintin" comic-book magazine brilliantly captures the outrageous adventures, tongue-in-cheek, satire, comedy , roller-coaster action taking the characters and some elements from original stories .
It is like an animated cartoon, but with hideous graphics/characters (Gollum was a good idea in LOTR but you can't seriously make a movie with full Gollum style...well Tintin made it) and no fun (if you laugh for nothing you might find haddock funny though), so I really wonder what's the point.
I have been a tintin fan since I was six years old but this movie destroyed the story elements completely.Steven Spielberg decided to mix and match two different stories into one and for someone who has not seen any Tintin it might work well.But for me who have seen the animated series and read the comics I was furious.So much was changed storywise and I could not understand why and way to much slapstick humor that just hurt to watch, some funny elements but mostly it felt forced.But despite this I have to say the production value was great fantastic animation, that is going to have pixar feeling more than a little shaken.I just wished they stayed true to Herge's story.
So I had a keen interest in the movie when it was announced, especially after knowing that it was being directed by one Steven Spielberg.The Secret Of The Unicorn is about Tintin (Jamie Bell), the brave young journalist always on the lookout for a story.
Purchasing a model of a ship propels him into an epic adventure across the world, assisted by the drunk Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis), and thwarted by the evil Sakharine (Daniel Craig).Since it released in the cinema, I've seen this movie about four times, and I always enjoy it.
The screenplay by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish combines elements of 'The Crab and the Golden Claws' (1943), 'The Secret of the Unicorn' and 'Red Rackham's Treasure' (both published in 1945), and reunites KING KONG costars Jamie Bell and Andy Serkis – as Tintin and Captain Haddock, respectively – for an around-the-world adventure for a lost family treasure.
In a massively successful career that spans 4 decades, it's his very first foray into the medium of animation & also marks his first stint with digital filmmaking.Based on the immensely popular comic book series by Hergé, the story of The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn follows the fearless journalist Tintin, his pet dog Snowy & the permanently drunk Captain Haddock who together set off on an adventure to unearth the secret of a ship that sank 300 years ago & was once commanded by one of Haddock's ancestors.Co-written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish, produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin opens with a brilliantly composed opening credits sequence that wonderfully pays its homage to its source material but after that, it feels like an inconsistent mash-up of Hergé's Tintin & Spielberg's Indiana Jones that isn't as rewarding as expected.Spielberg's direction is still worthy of mention for he shows a great comfort in what is a new filmmaking experience for him & is never hesitant to try a few experiments with the camera, for animation makes possible a number of sequences that would be too difficult to capture in a live-action scenario.
The editing however is a mixed bag for it fails to provide a tighter plot & a brisker pace would've sufficed a lot.The animation is gorgeous for the rendering captures the authentic ambiance of the comics, every frame is richly detailed, characters aren't entirely computer-generated as is the case in most animated features but make use of motion-capture to bring the real performances of the actors behind the voices, and the ever dependable John Williams once again chips in with an adventurous, mesmerising & light-hearted score.The cast consists of Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg & others and all of them chip in with fairly good performances.
The characters look exactly like their comic book drawings, the voice acting as well as the motion-capture performance by all is commendable, Tintin's beloved dog Snowy is a great comic relief & whether it's humour or entertainment, the film has a few cheering moments for everyone.On an overall scale, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn is underwhelming as far as what was expected from it but it still makes up for a good ride, if not a great one.
Spielberg and Peter Jackson clearly wanted to play in the digital sandbox but needed a film to demonstrate what they could do.Tintin is perhaps a suitable choice, realistically he would not work with real actors and creating the action inside the computer, allows literally anything to be shown on the big screen.Crash landing airplanes in the desert, intricate chases set in a bazaar with impossible stunts, fifty gun galleon's firing broadsides in monstrous seas, Spielberg directs like a kid let loose in a chocolate factory.Jamie Bell fleshes out the eponymous Tintin with bad guy duties falling to Daniel Craig as Sakharine.
Captain Haddock, who spends the entire film in pursuit of his next whisky bottle is provided via Andy Serkis, no stranger to these new acting techniques.It is interesting to see echos of the actors through their motion capture work, not just in their voices but in their facial actions, the way they move, walk and act.For the uninitiated, Tintin is a "cub" reporter providing newspaper articles on fantastic adventures and scrapes that he often finds himself embroiled in, all set within a largely recognisable 20th century backdrop.
Superb action with fantastic state of the art motion capture and CGI animation techniques.Kids will love the film and there is sufficient depth to keep most parents interested and the send off certainly indicates there is more of Tintin to come.Recommended, especially for big "Snowy" fanshttp://www.julesmoviereviews.blogspot.com/.
Perhaps I'm overreacting to the fact that the directors of "Schindler's List" and "Lord of the Rings" produced a bloated spectacle in Zemeckis-vision whose plot can be surmised in four words (those words are 'Tintin searches for treasure' by the way).The story intertwines the lives of a dull protagonist (Jamie Bell), his intelligent dog a drunken sea captain (Andy Serkis) and an evil ne'er-do-well with a 150 year old family grudge (Daniel Craig), all looking for hidden treasure in a paint-by-numbers adventure.
I loved Steven Spielbergs direction, some incredible action sequences where incredible, the guy who did the Indiana Jones films, who better to direct The Adventures of tintin.Jamie Bell is awesome as Tintin, you just see his likeness in the character.
Still, Andy Serkis spares him the embarrassment of being the worst actor in the thing; I never could work out if Captain Haddock was supposed to be Scottish or Scandinavian, because Serkis is all over the place.The story and characters only vaguely resemble the original comic books by Herge (of which I am a big fan) and most of it boils down to the kind of incessant, entirely routine CGI action that nowadays blights many a Hollywood movie.
Possibly not.From a computer-geek point of view - the 3D is good, but I won't miss it when I buy this on standard Blu-Ray when it comes out and there were times when I forgot I was watching a computer generated scene - the level of detail on skin, hair, clothing is truly staggering.Indeed Spielberg makes good use of the technology to create sweeping camera shots that pass through glass and water that would be impossible had this been a live action film.Finally, for me the most telling tribute to this film, is that I took my ten and four year old daughters, who have no history with Tintin at all, to see it and they absolutely loved it - they giggled and whooped and gasped at all the places I think they were supposed to.If you have no history with Tintin then you should enjoy this as a feel-good, family, rip-roaring adventure and if you're a die-hard Tintin lover, I suggest you leave your baggage at the door otherwise you will disappointed, because how could you be anything else?.
I was therefore more than curious to see what Steven Spielberg would do with the character, with this, the first big-time movie feature of the young Belgian reporter and his faithful dog Snowy.I really appreciated the title sequence with the lettering in the original style of the books but must admit that afterwards I found it difficult to completely accept the motion-capture technique employed.
And seeing characters like Tintin, his dog Snowy, Captain Haddock, and the comic relief detectives of Thompson and Thomson brought a big smile to my face in the way they were depicted.
The Adventures of Tintin, based off the European comics by Herge, is a another action-adventure movie that has an Indiana Jones like feel to it.
This film, despite being animated, has brisk action and some cool adventure scenes as the characters travel across the world.Spielberg's film is about a reporter named Tintin and his dog Snowy and they meet up with Captain Haddock and together, they search for a sunken ship that supposedly has treasure.This film features some good voice-acting.
There were times when I almost forgot that it is an animated feature and not live action.The story plot and pacing is straight out of the TinTin adventure comics.
Director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson has teamed up to make a film adaptation of the classic comic book series of 'Tintin' by Herge'.
Now, we are left with "The Adventures of Tintin", and I'm surprised that this movie did not get nominated for Best Animated Feature Film this year. |
tt2101393 | Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story | Tondo. The Ancient Gangland. Year 1950. Gang wars were in. Violence was the name of the game.Gangsters carried Thompsons and grease guns in a bayong. Police Characters were just too tough resulting in bloody encounters.All notorious hoodlums dreamt to be the King. But one smart and slippery hoodlum rose to power and reigned as King.He was the youngest and toughest Public Enemy No. 1 (Criminal) the Tondo Underworld ever bred. He was feared, respected and loved.A legendary Robin Hood in his time Tondo will never forget.His gang called him Hitler. Tondo remembers him by another name: ASIONG SALONGA.He robbed the rich to give to the poor. He lived and died by the gun. He lived fast and died young.This is his bloody career and salvage true-to-life story. | murder, flashback | train | imdb | Looking At The Picture.
Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story wants to recapture the old style of filmmaking.
At first glance, I thought it looks pretentious because of the black and white color.
But it turns out to be a beautiful aspect to the film.
The only thing that stumbles here is the storytelling.
It paces to quick and the editing is kinda choppy.
Although it has some solid performances and the action is pretty entertaining.
Manila Kingpin is still watchable.
The cinematography just made it better.Manila Kingpin is suppose to be a relic.
Wants to bring back the old filmmaking.
Some parts gives its tone but mostly it doesn't.
The storytelling has its missteps.
It paces too quick and skips some events.
The directing is kind of impressive though.
Scenes are nicely shot and every sequence was well played.
The acting, Jorge Estregan was fairly good in this film.
It's not quite a nuance though but he really nails it when he's holding the guns.
Phillip Salvador does his thing but what's fascinating is he looks great in black and white.
The rest of the cast also did good and gave some personality to their roles.The drama can be great for some reason although it tells the story in a sort of messy way but the action never fails to be enjoyable.
It's well directed.
Though, the editing may jumble some of its sequence and the action doesn't run that long.
The kalesa gunfight scene is going to be remembered to the Philippine Cinema.
The best thing here is the cinematography.
It doesn't only made the picture black and white but it also gives great effect to the aspect.
For example: Phillip Salvador's face.
These elements made this more than an action drama.Manila Kingpin is sort of messed up in some parts but it's mostly a satisfying picture to see in MMFF this year.
We don't get to see Filipino films like this anymore.
Since the Filipino cinema is now plodded with romance, boring horror films, drama cookie-cutter, and comedies played by drag.
Manila Kingpin is strongly recommended.
It's good to see a Filipino film like this.
They say there will be a Director's Cut DVD of this film.
I will be looking forward to that soon..
Very moving...
probably without George Estregan..
When I first heard about this film, the first film which came to my mind was The Godfather (1972) and I got excited that I wanted the holidays to end so I could finally watch it.
"Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" is a really good film, though I hate to admit that it wasn't quite as satisfying as I thought it would be considering that they depicted the life of Asiong Salonga- the famous gang leader of Tondo back in the old days.
The director, and everyone behind the film, probably wanted to capture how it feels and what it looks like living back in the late 40's and early 50's, that's why they chose to make the film black and white.
I have to commend the brains behind that idea because they were able to relive what I call "The Old Days".
Watching the actors shoot their guns and drive those vintage cars just blew me away and it was like almost as if I was actually in that place where it happened!I believe that without good actors, there can never be a great film.
But there are always exception to the general rule.
Looking at Jorge Estregan's acting skill, I think it was a mistake casting him as Asiong Salonga.
Yes, we all know that he portrayed several antagonist characters in the past, but his experience, I'm afraid to say, just wasn't enough to make him fit for the role, thus, making him face humiliation from the audience.
I also felt that his moves were stiff and the way he delivered his lines was not powerful enough to make everyone believe that he is Asiong Salonga.
I was moved by Baron Geisler's performance, though.
As an actor who portrayed famous antagonist characters on films and TV series as well, you can rest assured that he will never fail to deliver what is expected of him.
Joko Diaz was good portraying a bad ass gang member, though there were times when I said to myself that: "He's just not as good as his father was".
John Regala will always be John Regala- you'll hate him the moment you see him.
That's just how good he is as an actor.The action scenes were almost perfect had it not been for Jorge's lousy acting.
I found some scenes funny rather than exciting, moving, astonishing, and worthy of my praise.
The scene that made a mark to me was the battle scene in the rain (you saw it in the trailer).
It was so good I had to stop breathing for a second to savor that epic moment.
Overall, the movie "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story", though a bit short with good actors, is worth watching..
Overrated.
Could have been so much better..
If you don't know who's Asiong yet and don't want to read his biography on the web, I won't spoil you.
Just know that this movie is only based on him and not 100% real.First of all, I really feel bad for the Philippine Movie Industry.
This film has won major movie awards locally and praised for all the wrong reasons.
If you're really a fan of Hollywood blockbusters, you'll be disappointedFirst off: "Best in Cinematography".
There were good camera angles.
But since it's in B&W, there were some scenes where I just would like to scream "Turn on the lights!" or "Open some windows!"."Best Editing".
Nope.
There was one scene where Asiong was crying while reading a letter.
And then it cut to a love scene.
And then back to him weeping.
Editing of the Year, huh?"Best Director".
There were a lot of talented actors in this film like John Regala, Baron Geisler, Ronnie Lazaro, Yul Servo, hell, even Ketchup Eusebio.
But if you can't help the main character in his acting skills, you don't deserve to win this award.
Which brings me to the next one..."Best Actor".
I really tried.
I really tried.
At first I was giving him a free pass because maybe it's just because the fight choreography sucked.
But then I heard him speak/whisper.
And ear excruciating dialog delivery.
This man is a half older than the man he tries to portray.
He looked like a 50 year old couch potato who tries to look for a 5 minute exercise on the shadow boxing scene.
And in terms of facial expressions, he's the male Kristen Stewart of the Philippines.
Note to producers: "Just because he portrayed Asiong 21 years ago, doesn't mean he should be him again"."Best Production Designer".
The set was nostalgic.
So maybe it really deserves this award.
One thing that was funny though was that wooden tables became barricades in gun fights.
Whoops!"Movie Musical Scorer of the Year".
Nnnnnope.
A lot of melodramatic music in the film even in parts where it doesn't need to be there.
Totoy Golem playing pool had sad then terrifying music.
He was trying to make a corner pocket dammit!"Best Supporting Actor".
I say yes.
And I do feel Baron Geisler deserves his own lead actor role in a Film Festival movie.
I just feel bad for Ping Medina and Yul Servo.
Wasted actors given ridiculous lines in the movie.
My favorite worst few lines by a good actor: "Domeng....
Si Asiong...
Si Totoy Golem...
Si Erning.....
Si Asiong."Did I mention that the direction/fight choreography was awful?
Knife battles had a dramatic Samurai Battle ending.
In one of the gun fights, Asiong blasts through a door in front of 5-10 armed men shooting at him and he just struts for a good 3 seconds before shooting somebody.
During the stand off with Pepeng Hapon, about 10 shots were fired by each men and none hit.
They were literally a few meters from each other.
Near the end, a man gets shot in the arm and looked almost dying while Domeng gets shot in the shoulder and shrugs it off.All in all, you can't take this movie seriously.
If you've reached all the way through this paragraph then you have been warned.
Take a laugh every once in a while (especially on the bicycle drive by scene) while watching this and maybe it wouldn't be so bad.5/10.
Got Most Everything Right, Except the Lead Actor.
"Manila Kingpin" is a very good-looking movie.
The remarkable black and white photography is very sharp and striking.
The camera angles were very well-placed and dramatic in composition.
The period costumes and set design were meticulously planned and paid attention to.
All the supporting characters, from Asiong's policeman elder brother Doming (Phillip Salvador), his wife (Carla Abellana), his gang mates (Baron Geisler, Yul Servo, Dennis Padilla, Ketchup Eusebio and Amay Bisaya) to his arch rival Totoy Golem (John Regala), everyone looks and feels right for their respective parts.
The action sequences, be they gun battles or fist fights, were quite well-choreographed and executed.However, the main problem about this film is the lead actor himself, Jeorge 'ER' Ejercito.
He did not have the right look nor charisma to pull off this lead character.
He tries his best, but there seemed to be difficulty to fit.
He did not project well in his scenes with Salvador, Regala, as well as those with Jay Manalo, who played his protector in prison, all of whom can dominate the screen better than Estregan.
His scenes with Abellana had an unfortunate DOM ("dirty old man") feel to them, instead of sincere marital love.
These problems can be explained when it was revealed at the end that the real Asiong died at the young age of 27!
Ejercito must be twice that age already by now, hence the very tight fit.Overall though, the hard work and sincere efforts for excellence can be felt while watching the film.
Director Tikoy Aguiluz certainly seemed to have nothing to be ashamed of with this final print we saw in the theaters, so I am also very curious what these controversial re-shot and re-edited scenes were that caused him to want his name stricken off the project.
My one suspicion would be the final gun battle-royale in the rain, which was very well shot, but was curiously scored with the slow version of "Mad World" of Tears for Fears.
I felt this score was inappropriate and awkward to the time period and to the culture.
An original Filipino sad melody would have been better.
Anyway, that is only a minor quibbling observation.
This film is worth watching especially for fans who miss traditional Filipino action films.
It deserved all the awards given to it during the recent awards night -- Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Supporting Actor, Cinematography, Production Design, Editing, Sound, and Theme Song..
Nice!.
Manila kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story is written by Lopez Nepomuceno and directed by Tikoy aguiluz, It is an action movie which starred Jorge Estregan (Asiong), Carla Abellana (Angela), Philip Salvador (Policeman), Baron Geisler (Boy Toothpick), among others.
Asiong Salonga is the husband of Angela.
Even though he is too young to think of it, Asiong wants to rule Manila.
But there is the group of Totoy Golem, who is the antagonist.
The group of Totoy Golem got angry with Asiong because he stopped the illegal activities of the group.
The group of Totoy Golem is known for illegal gambling and drugs.
The group was paralyzed.
One of the members of Totoy Golem's group was killed by Totoy Golem himself when he learned that the member was spreading the rumor that the group was afraid of Asiong.The setting of the story is in Tondo, Manila.
The dialogue of the casts is so frightening.
The audience think that the dialogue is only use in street-sides.
The special effects of the movie is awesome.
Actually, the movie was only a remake of the movie ''Asiong Salonga'' that happened in 1961.
Some of the cast was very good in acting but the other cast was needs improvement for his/her acting.5/10.
Now I wonder what the Tikoy Aguiluz cut would look like....
This might as well be the first time that I'm reviewing a film without a director.
Of course it was, during production, helmed by veteran film director Tikoy Aguiluz, whose film "Segurista" I truly admire.
But because of some post-production politics and creative clashes between him and the producers, Aguiluz's name, by his own request, was removed from the posters and the film itself, leaving screenwriters Roy Iglesias and Rey Ventura as the only people left at the top of the creative hierarchy."Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" was, above all, branded as a resurrection of sorts for the very dead action genre of the local film scene: an alternative cinematic reality reigned over by the likes of Lito Lapid, Rudy Fernandez, FPJ, and lots and lots of blazing machismo.
It was truly a haven of myth-making capable of solidifying silver screen stars such as Ramon Revilla Sr. as an amulet-empowered 'crime does not pay' icon and Paquito Diaz as villainy and ruthlessness personified.
This is the powerful formula only action movies have the strength and endurance to carry on for more than 40 years or so without looking, even at the slightest bit, exhausted.
And in this film's case, it was that same, enduring formula that was utilized by George Estregan Jr.
(or E.R. Ejercito) and company to serve us thirsty fans a tribute to the genre's lore and also a blood-drenched gangster tale that we can call our own.Namely, some of the film's strengths are its exquisite cinematography and set design, which have genuinely evoked the 50's period with its nostalgic, often times claustrophobic and grayish visual treatment.
Take note, 'evoked', not 'replicated'.
If replication is the film's real intent, then they should have gone braver and filmed it in full color.
But with its purpose being to merely create a distinct visual 'feel' completely free to express its own artistic liberties rather than to completely emulate a bygone era to the teeth, "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" succeeded.But although the film has meritoriously upheld its own visually, it has fallen short substantially.
The film suffered in severe one-dimensionality in terms of characterization, with George Estregan Jr., most known for merely playing loud-mouthed, smoker-voiced supervillains such as Dr. Zyke in "Batang Z" and Ivan in Andrew E.'s "Extranghero", although showing relative depth and previously unseen dramatic intensity in his performance as the savage but gold-hearted titular crime boss, obviously looked awkward at times as he makes most out of the stereotypically-written lead role.
While character actors like the ever so psychotic John Regala and the subtle Ronnie Lazaro seem to enjoy in their respective characters' caricature-like brutality, the always reliable Phillip Salvador suffered in his role's tiring and predictable 'although my brother's a hardened criminal I still love him' mentality as Asiong's older cop sibling.Ping Medina, one of the best young actors working today, was underused in an underdeveloped character, and so were Yul Servo and Ketchup Eusebio.
Though I can't say the same for Baron Geisler's, which fueled and enforced the film's theme of betrayal and split loyalty with his dimensioned, though predictable Judas-like character to Estregan's Jesus Christ.
With Geisler and his mocking smiles and stares like that of a manipulative schemer, you can clearly read within his character that it's just a matter of time before he goes all Robert Ford to Asiong's Jesse James behind.True, "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story" may have, in certain ways, hopefully reverberated the action genre with the urgency of its ambition, thanks to George Estregan Jr. and all the people involved.
But I think that in time, this film will and should be more remembered as a pioneering crime film that just happened to have one action scene and two or three kissing scenes (!) more than the usual.
And just when I'm merely recovering from a "Mad World" LSS hangover, here comes this film complete with its own instrumental rendition of the said song which puts a preachy, 'this is what you should feel' vibe to an otherwise well-executed, "City of God"-esque bullet ballet of a climax.Now, despite of my scrutiny of the film no one really asked for, I truly enjoyed watching the film for what it is: A textbook action/crime opera.
And as the film's credits roll and as the lights in the theater were switched back on, I can see the geriatric majority of the audience; a bittersweet sight that made me think of one thing: "These are the fans that you've left behind, action genre!" Fans that, for so many years, have settled for those pixelated 16 in 1 Robin Padilla DVDs and Cinema One reruns to compensate for the lack, or even the complete absence, of new, locally-produced action pictures.Now, with not much left to say, I have appreciated this version more than I thought I would, but I'm still particular of the fact that in the long run and in the overall definition of what cinema is all about, the director's vision matters more than all the commercial-minded producers' combined.
Now, can we have the Tikoy Aguiluz cut, please?(Review originally published at www.ivan-thoughts.blogspot.com) |
tt0414387 | Pride & Prejudice | This film is the story of the Bennet family, a middle-class family in England around 1800. The principal characters are:Mrs. Bennet (Brenda Blethyn), a hyperexcitable woman obsessed with getting at least one of her daughters into a financially advantageous marriage.Mr. Bennet (Donald Sutherland), who is relaxed, easygoing, and unflappable. He is somewhat amused by the high-spirited behavior of the rest of the family.Jane (Rosamund Pike), the oldest of the daughters. She is serious and thoughtful, but quite shy.Elizabeth (Lizzie) (Keira Knightley), the second daughter and the main character. She is wise, witty, and outspoken. She enjoys (and is very good at) verbal sparring and skirmishing with people.Mary (Talulah Riley), the third, not at all socially outgoing or interested in chasing men. She spends her time reading, playing the piano, and speaking of how much more interesting nature is than human society.Katherine (Kitty) (Carey Mulligan), like Lydia, is a boy-crazy teenager. The two of them are not interested in any serious pursuits; they just want to go to parties and dances. Kitty is impressionable and takes her cues from Lydia.Lydia (Jena Malone) is even more frivolous than Kitty.Charles Bingley (Simon Woods) is a wealthy and good-natured gentleman from London who moves into a nearby estate, causing great interest among the Bennets.Fitzwilliam Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) is an extremely wealthy gentleman from the North of England. Unfortunately, he is ill-at-ease and inarticulate in social situations. He does not express himself well, and creates a bad impression on people.The reason that an advantageous marriage is important is that the house and land are covered by a covenant that would give it to the eldest male heir on Mr. Bennet's death, but, having no sons, it will go to their cousin, William Collins. This would leave the family destitute.The film opens with a tracking shot of a green covered field on a sun-lit morning. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Bennet walks along the field finishing a book. Upon coming home, she overhears her mother telling her father excitedly that Netherfield, a nearby estate, has been rented by a Mr. Bingley, a wealthy gentleman from London. Mrs. Bennet begs Mr. Bennet to call on Mr. Bingley, believing him to be a very suitable match for any of her daughters. Mr. Bennett finally divulges that he has already met Mr. Bingley--he enjoys playing his low-key detached persona off of his wife's hyper-excitablility. When he says that they can all expect to see Mr. Bingley at an upcoming public ball, all of the Bennet daughters (who had been listening intently at the keyhole) squeal in excitement. Lizzie herself and the eldest sister Jane smile with pleasure, as the younger Lydia and Kitty jump up and down, and immediately begin to beg Jane to borrow her prettiest pair of shoes. Mary merely goes back to playing her piano. As Mr. Bennet leaves his study and sees that the five girls were all listening, he simply walks past them, amusedly saying "Good heavens! People!"Later, at the public ball, the entire party is dancing, talking, and laughing; especially Lydia and Kitty, who seem to be giddy about being out in public in front of gentlemen. As Jane and Lizzie stand to the side observing the dance, Lizzie tells Jane that she has no intention of ever marrying. Jane disagrees and teases; "One day, Lizzie, a man will catch your eye and then you will have to hold your tongue."Suddenly, the room goes silent, as Mr. Bingley enters the hall along with his pretentious sister Caroline (Kelly Reilly), and his aloof, taciturn, and extremely wealthy friend Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Bennet, in her artless and self-conscious way, wastes no time in introducing her daughters to the newcomers. She also introduces Lizzie's close friend Charlotte Lucas (Claudie Blakley). While Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley stare with an air of superiority, Mr. Bingley strikes up a conversation with Jane and Elizabeth. He is very affable and pleasant, and he and Jane take an immediate liking to each other. They dance with each other twice, to Mrs. Bennet's immense delight.Mr. Darcy, on the other hand, does not dance at all. He hardly speaks to anyone other than Charles and Caroline Bingley. Lizzie overhears him make a cruel remark about her, leaving her with a strong impression that he is ill-mannered. She later takes an opportunity to engage in some not-very-friendly verbal sparring with him. She comes away from the dance with as negative an impression of him as Jane's positive impression of Bingley.At one point during the dance, Kitty and Lydia run up breathlessly to their mother, telling her that they have heard that the militia are due to stay in their town over the winter. This means lots of opportunities to meet men.The next morning, Jane receives a letter from Caroline Bingley inviting her to dinner at Netherfield, though Charles will be away. Jane goes there, but catches a bad cold on the way, and must stay a few more days until she recovers. (Mrs. Bennet apparently planned the cold in advance, so that Jane would have to stay at the house while Mr. Bingley was there; she had made Jane go to Netherfield on horseback in a driving rainstorm.)Eliza, worried for her sister, walks the long distance in the muddy roads to Netherfield to visit Jane. When enters the reserved and elegant parlor with her hair down and wild, with muddy shoes and skirt, Caroline and Darcy looked shocked at her arrival and her appearance. Lizzie apologizes and inquires about her sister; Darcy brusquely replies that Jane is upstairs resting. Eliza is suprised a bit by the quick reaction, but then smiles and goes upstairs to Jane. As soon as she has left the room, Caroline Bingley quickly remarks how disheveled she looked, stating she "was almost positively medieval."Mr. Bingley is looking after Jane while she is ill. Lizzie stays for a couple of days. Judging by Mr Bingley's concern for her sister, and his fumbling words around her, Elizabeth is sure that Mr Bingley is in love with Jane.During an encounter in the sitting room, Caroline shows her pretentious and aristocratic attitudes. She makes increasingly brazen remarks about the unpolished behavior of the Bennet family and even Elizabeth. She also seems to share Lizzie's skill at verbal sparring, and the two of them make sharp comments to Darcy. Darcy quietly hears hers out her venom but doesn't respond. He seems to be truly offended by both of them.Mrs. Bennet and the other 3 daughters all come to Netherfield to pick up Lizzie and Jane. Mrs. Bennet urges Mr. Bingley to hold a dance soon, and he says that he will. While getting into the carriage, Elizabeth is shocked when Darcy takes her hand to help her into the carriage.Then the dreaded cousin William Collins (Tom Hollander), a minister, comes to visit the Bennets. He is extremely shallow, pompous, patronizing, boring, and conceited. He is attracted to influence and wealth, and engages in transparently foolish flattery. Dinner is very tense; the family sees right through him. Lizzie, in particular, does some verbal sparring with him.After dinner, he approaches Mrs. Bennet about marrying Jane; finding a wife among the sisters was the purpose of the visit. Mrs. Bennet says that Jane appears to be taken, but that Lizzie is available. She is delighted at the thought of one of her daughters marrying the man who will inherit the estate anyway.The next morning, the girls go out to see a parade of the militia; Kitty and Lydia are particularly interested in flirting with them. Later, they meet one of them, a handsome lieutenant named Wickham (Rupert Friend). They all go to a nearby store to buy ribbons for the upcoming dance. On their walk home they encounter Bingley and Darcy. Darcy and Wickham stare at each other coldly, and Darcy quickly leaves. There is some kind of intense antagonism between the two.After Darcy and Bingley leave, Elizabeth, confused by the men's reactions to each other, asks Wickham about this, and he explains that Darcy had cheated him out of Darcy's father's generous bequest to him. Elizabeth is amazed at the story, but is not entirely shocked, given Darcy's personality. Her opinion of Darcy goes even lower.The family goes to Bingley's dance. Lizzie is particularly interested in finding Wickham, but he isn't there, presumably because of the antagonism with Darcy. Collins asks Lizzie to dance with her, to her great disgust. He dotes on her, but she hardly even looks at him or speaks to him. Then Darcy appears, and asks Lizzie to dance. She accepts, and then hurries off with Charlotte for a quiet space. They laugh in disbelief, and Eliza, smiling, admits that "this is most inconvenient" as she had resigned herself to loathe him for all eternity. During the dance, she engages in intense verbal battle with him, mentioning Mr. Wickham. Darcy gets extremely uncomfortable, but it is clear that the tension in their manners might be due to attraction.Charlotte warns Lizzie that Jane should show more affection and attention to Mr Bingley, to encourage him. Elizabeth defends Jane, countering that Jane is reserved and shy, but feels that the attention is enough. Charlotte maintains that we are all fools in love.Caroline notices the many social gaffes and generally low-class behavior of the Bennets and their cousin Mr. Collins, and she makes various disparaging remarks about this to Darcy.Bingley smiles at Jane just before the Bennet's leave, and Caroline knows the look on her brother's face means only one thing...love, and if she is going to have anything about it; she has to act quickly. She doesn't want her brother to marry a Bennet.The next morning, Mr. Collins proposes to Lizzie, in the most pompous and conceited way imaginable. Lizzie, who utterly loathes him, rejects the proposal. Her sisters (listening at the door as usual) are delighted that she turned down the pompous ass. But Mrs. Bennet is horrified that any opportunity for marriage has been passed up, particularly with the man who will inherit the estate. She demands that Lizzie change her mind. But Mr. Bennet sides with Lizzie.A letter arrives from Caroline, saying that the Bingleys, and Darcy, are leaving Netherfield indefinitely. The letter indicates that it is so that Darcy can go back to be with his sister Georgiana. Lizzie realizes that Caroline dragged Bingley away so she could set him up with Darcy's younger sister. Jane resigns herself to the thought that perhaps Bingley just never loved her at all. Lizzie protests and says that she is certain Bingley does love her, and that she should not give up. Lizzie tells Jane to go to London and stay with their aunt and uncle, and she is sure that Bingley will send for her before the week is out. The family bids Jane farewell the next morning as she rides off to London to seek out her love.Charlotte Lucas comes to visit Lizzie and tell her that she is engaged to Mr. Collins. Lizzie is appalled that she would marry such a shallow man. Charlotte replies that she is desperate--she is 27 and in danger of becoming a penniless old maid if she does not find a financially secure husband soon.A few weeks later, Charlotte invites Lizzie to visit her at her new home with Mr. Collins. Lizzie sees that Charlotte is genuinely happy. Mr. Collins takes Lizzie and Charlotte to visit his neighbor and patron, the fabulously wealthy and aristocratic Lady Catherine DeBourg (Judi Dench), who is also Darcy's aunt. Mr. Collins is extremely fawning and obsequious toward her. Mr. Darcy, and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam (Cornelius Booth), are also there.Lady DeBourg is an incredibly haughty, arrogant, insolent, and overbearing person. At dinner, she quizzes Lizzie about her family. She is openly disdainful of the Bennets' lower class upbringing (specifically, not having had a governess), Lizzie's unseemly (to Lady Debourg) outspokenness, and the fact that the five girls were violating proper social protocol by all being "out in society" at the same time.After dinner, Lady DeBourg commands that Lizzie play the piano. Lizzie protests that she is a poor musician, but Lady DeBourg is not to be denied. While Lizzie is muddling her way through a piano piece, Darcy comes over, and the two of them engage in some verbal sparring. Fitzwilliam comes over and asks about Lizzie's impression of her earlier encounter with Darcy. Lizzie relates his seemingly antisocial behavior, not conversing or dancing with anyone. Darcy protests that he is not skilled in conversing with people to whom he has not been introduced. The verbal jabs continue. Darcy seems hurt by Lizzie's reproach.The next day, Mr. Darcy comes to the house, seeming to want to speak to Lizzie, but is then totally tongue-tied and unable to express himself. He leaves in an apparent state of confusion and agitation.During a boring church sermon by Mr. Collins, Lizzie and Colonel Fitzwilliam have a whispered conversation. Fitzwilliam reveals that Darcy, not Caroline, was the one who had separated Mr. Bingley from Jane.Later, in a shelter from a driving rainstorm, Darcy meets Lizzie and proclaims his love for her, saying that this is against his better judgement and despite her inferior social rank. An extremely bitter confrontation ensues. Lizzie denounces Darcy for his haughty demeanor and, more importantly, for interfering with Jane and Bingley. Darcy explains that he did this because he believed that Jane was not really interested in the relationship. Liz counters that Jane is simply very shy. "My sister hardly shows her true feelings to me!" Darcy also makes extremely disparaging comments about the remaining members of the Bennet family. Lizzie also brings up Mr. Wickham's claim that Darcy had cheated him out of his inheritance.Lizzie is so upset by this confrontation that she spends the rest of the day brooding about it back at the house. At nightfall, Darcy comes by and drops off a letter that he has written. Lizzie says nothing.In the letter, Darcy explains the relationship with Wickham. Darcy's father did indeed leave Wickham with a generous annual allowance. Wickham demanded, and received, the full principal, then gambled it away and came back for more. Darcy refused. Later, Wickham returned, and tried to elope with Darcy's sister Georgiana, to get her 30,000 pound inheritance. When he was told he would not get it, he disappeared. Darcy's letter also explains that Georgiana was only 15 at the time, and was thrown into a state of deep despair by this. Darcy explained that he had separated Jane from Bingley because he truly believed that he was helping his friend.Lizzie returns home. Jane is also home from London, having failed to find Mr. Bingley. She tells Lizzie, not very convincingly, that she is quite over her attraction to Bingley. She asks Lizzie whether there is any news from the visit with Charlotte. Lizzie say no; she lies. She specifically denies that Darcy had said anything about Bingley.Also, Lydia has been invited by a Colonel Forster to go on a trip to the South coastal resort at Brighton. Lizzie thinks it is a bad idea; Lydia is immature and impulsive, and could get into trouble. Lizzie pleads with her father to forbid it, and is furious when he doesn't.The Bennet sisters' aunt and uncle, Mr. (Peter Wight) and Mrs. (Penelope Wilton) Gardiner, are visiting, and will be going on a vacation in the Peak district to the North. They invite Lizzie to come with them, and she accepts.While on their travels, Lizzie's aunt and uncle suggest a visit to Pemberley, Darcy's grand estate, which is nearby and is open for visitors. Lizzie is reluctant to be anywhere near the man she hates, but consents to the trip when she is told that Darcy is away.Lizzie is utterly awed by the opulence and splendor of the house and grounds, particularly a sculpture gallery. The housekeeper tells the three visitors what a kind, caring, and generous person Mr. Darcy is. Lizzie begins to think that her earlier impression of him may have been wrong.Lizzie peeks into a room where a very young woman (who will turn out to be Darcy's younger sister Georgiana (Tamzin Merchant)) is playing the piano. She then sees Darcy enter, and he and the young woman welcome each other and embrace affectionately. Lizzie quickly leaves and goes outside. Darcy follows her and makes an awkward attempt to be conciliatory. He explains that he had returned from his trip early. He offers Lizzie a ride back to the inn where she is staying, but she declines, saying that she will walk.At dinner at the inn, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner tell Lizzie that Darcy had come to talk to them, seemed to be a very gracious person, and had invited them all to come back to Pemberley the next day, so that Mr. Gardiner could go fishing and Lizzie could meet Georgiana. They do so. When Lizzie and Georgiana meet, the latter says "My brother has told me so much about you. I feel that we are friends already." Darcy then flatters Lizzie into playing piano duets with the much more talented Georgiana. The interaction between Lizzie and Darcy is completely pleasant and amicable this time, the first time that this has happened. Darcy is finally learning how to speak in a pleasing way.The Gardiners, Lizzie, and Darcy all go to the inn that evening for dinner. Lizzie receives a letter with the shocking news that Lydia has run away with Mr. Wickham. Darcy blames himself for this, for not having exposed Wickham's perfidy sooner. He then leaves, and the others hurry back to the Bennet's home. Mr. Bennet has gone to London to try to find Lydia and Wickham, and force them to marry. The family is totally devastated--in that society, an incident like this brings ruin upon the entire family. None of them will be able to marry well, and they will lose the estate upon Mr. Bennet's death.Mr. Bennet returns, but Mr. Gardiner is still searching. Then a letter arrives: Mr. Gardiner has found them, and they will get married if Wickham is promised a settlement of 100 pounds per year. Mr. Bennet will pay it, but they are convinced that the actual demand must have been in the thousands, and that Mr. Gardiner is paying the bulk of it.The newlyweds then arrive for a visit before going to the North of England, where Wickham will be stationed. At lunch, Lydia lets slip what was supposed to be a secret--that Darcy was at the wedding, and was in fact the one who had found her and Wickham. Lizzie realizes that Darcy had been noble and generous toward the Bennet family, and that he must have been the one that paid off Wickham.The Bennets later learn that Mr. Bingley is returning to town. Jane assures Lizzie, not very convincingly, that she has completely gotten over caring about him. Mrs. Bennet also feigns indifference. A short time later, Mr. Bingley arrives at the house, with Darcy. (There is a humorous scene where the family frantically cleans up the messy living room, finishing in the nick of time.) Mrs. Bennet, while pretending to be indifferent, is clearly excited at the thought that Bingley will propose to Jane. But the visit is somewhat awkward to all concerned.Bingley and Darcy then walk a short distance from the house, and Darcy helps Bingley rehearse his proposal to Jane. Back at the house, Lizzie begins to realize that Darcy brought Bingley back to town, attempting to repair the damage that he had caused by separating them. She realizes that her negative impression of Darcy had been wrong.Bingley returns and proposes to Jane, and she accepts (with the whole family listening intently at the door, of course.)The Bennet family is ecstatic that evening, until there is a knock on the door. It is Lady DeBourg. After issuing a few insults, she imperiously demands to speak to Lizzie alone. She tells Lizzie that she has heard a rumor that her nephew Darcy and Lizzie are to be married. She is scandalized that he would ruin the family name by marrying into such a low-class family. She demands that Lizzie promise that the rumor is false, and that she will never marry Darcy. Lizzie refuses to do so, and tells Lady DeBourg to leave, an almost unheard-of breach of decorum toward the aristocracy.Lizzie had been unaware of the rumor, and realizes that it must have come from Darcy, and that it means that Darcy is genuinely interested in her. She is so upset at the encounter with Lady DeBourg that she can't sleep. Finally, just before dawn, she gets up and goes for a walk outside. She meets Darcy, also going for a walk. He hadn't been able to sleep either. When Lady DeBourg had reported to him Lizzie's refusal to deny the rumor, he realized that there was hope that Lizzie might marry him. He says that he hopes that her view of him has changed from their earlier encounters. He apologizes for his past behavior, saying "You are too generous to trifle with me", and proposes to her. Just at the instant the Sun is rising between them, she accepts.Later that morning, in Mr. Bennet's study, Darcy asks for Lizzie's hand in marriage. Then he leaves and Lizzie goes in to talk to her father. "I thought you hated the man." "No, papa ... I was wrong. I was entirely wrong about him." He gives his consent, saying "I could not have parted with you, my dear Lizzie, to anyone less worthy." After she leaves, Mr. Bennet, who has now had three of his five daughters engaged or married within a few days, calls out "If any young men come for Mary or Kitty, for heaven's sake, send them in, I'm quite at my leisure." | comedy, boring, dramatic, cute, melodrama, romantic | train | imdb | quite disappointed in all the pompous idiots filled with prejudice about the movie.I know that another version of the well-mined Jane Austen classic would need to be brilliant indeed.
His capitulation to Lizzie is therefore more believable.Similarly Garson, Ehle and Keira Knightley illustrate the lively intelligence, sharp-minded wit and wry humour of Elizabeth Bennet in equally shining ways that nevertheless bring out different aspects of the character.
The surroundings both detract from the humans and function as appropriately natural settings for the dramas of human nature.Keira Knightley's swan-like Elizabeth moves with energy and grace, hotly opinionated and profoundly moved by principles and prejudices, and magnetically drawn by the seeming arrogance, reticence and gallant behaviour, finally revealed, of Mr Darcy.
This 2005 film clocks in 127 minutes (UK / Europe)& 135 minutes (USA & Canada) -the extended version allowing audiences to share more of the timeless love story with the main characters -Elizabeth Bennet & Mr Darcy.
Director Joe Wright plus his screenwriters ( Oscar winner Emma Thompson contributed to the final screenplay) have chosen to emphasise Elizabeth Bennet / Mr Darcy plus Jane Bennet/ Mr Bingley story lines & reduce Mr Wickman, Charlotte & Mr Collins to supporting characters.Austen's famous wit,satire & humour that forms the basis for her enduring appeal (Pride & Prejudice was finally published in 1813 & continues as an annual bestseller)is sidelined to open up this version as more emotional drama for modern audiences.If you are open to a newer interpretation, can avoid comparisons to the nearly 5 hour 1995 TV version which allowed for greater depth & detail in telling all the characters story lines & accept some of the new film's rushed story lines-you are in for a treat .....New British star Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet))excels in her first real leading actress role ably supported by fellow Brit Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet) as the sisters supportive of each other's & their Bennett family problems.Knightley at 20 is the right age for her character,this allows Elizabeth's girlish personality plus her character's pride, misjudgements & loving nature to shine through....Great star turns from Brenda Blethyn as their mother Mrs Bennet plus Oscar winner Judi Dench as fearsome Lady De Bourgh (Mr Darcy's aunt)add depth to this film version.Claudie Blakley as Elizabeths's wise friend Charlotte Lucas & Simon Wood's amusing Mr Bingley are delightful supporting performers.
One major surprise is Canadian actor Donald Sutherland's touching performance as Mr Bennet -capturing both the humour of living in an all female household & five daughters to look after with the poignancy of seeing his eldest children's difficult relationships develop -easily his best acting performance in years.
In the difficult role of Mr Darcy rising British star Matthew Macfadyen (BBC's Spy series Spooks & Award winning New Zealand film "In My Father's Den" rises to the occasion.With the short running time, there is not enough time to allow Darcy's repressed & prejudiced personality to be fully represented -Macfadyen perfectly displays Darcy's social & class problems, his unfortunate attempts at gaining Eliabeth Bennet's interest & his painful adjustments to achieve their personal love story.Macfayden & Knightley's objectionable first dance,their embarrassingly moving Collins House meeting,the unexpected Pemberley encounter plus their two proposal scenes are highlights of this film.
All in all one of the better films of 2005 -not perfect film making and not intended to be as subtle as Austen's novel -but a wonderful surprise with some changes to present a modern version of Pride & Prejudice for current audiences -do see this film as & when it is released worldwide....And after seeing the film or re-visiting 1995 BBC TV series -read the original novel for its classic storyline, memorable characters & Austen's brilliant writing style,wit & humour.....9 Out Of 10 for this different interpretation of an enduring classic.
"Pride and Prejudice" has been a favorite novel of mine since I first read it and I've seen Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle and now Matthew MacFadyen and Kiera Knightly.
The fantastic romantic world of Jane Austen again makes its way to the silver screen in Joe Wright's new adaptation of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice.
This adaptation is, for lack of a better word, a BRILLIANT achievement that keeps you actively involved from the first scene to the very last scene, just about consuming you with aching romance and it is sprinkled with humour and intelligence.Still taking place in the late 1700s and still interweaving its story with timeless emotion, pride, narrow-mindedness and love, Pride and Prejudice (2005) zooms in on the Bennet household in class-conscious, stuck-up England.
It is highlighted from scene 1, playfully touching upon their sexual tension and gradually turning it into feverish love that sends chills down your spine.Every last actor in the cast of Pride and Prejudice (2005) gets to shine in their characterfrom Dame Judi Dench as a cold rich lady to Donald Sutherland as caring Mr Bennet, all except Jena Malone whose all too Valley-girl American attitude was distracting and annoyingly anachronistic.
This is a deeply dumbed-down version of Austen.Every hairstyle is wrong, the Bennett family look and behave like Californian hippies prone to spouting (very) occasional bits of Austen dialogue.I will give you one key indicator of how badly researched and produced this film is: at one point Lady Catherine de Burgh, one of the great snobs in English literature, is handed a cup of tea by a servant and says "thank you"!The fact that the Bennetts live in the same house that the Herberts inhabited in The Draughtsman's Contract is a surreal touch for any Greenaway fan....
Except for the scene where he gave a lovely smile - Mathew MacFadyen wore the same expression pretty much throughout, (which was not surprising as this Darcy was such a boring character), and Kiera Knightly just seemed much to flighty for Lizzy, she seemed more like Lydia.To me - it is the Benny Hill version of P&P - no subtlety, little wit, almost just slapstick.Thank God for the BBC..
The versatile camera-work, luscious countryside, grand settings, period costumes, and atmospheric music are evidence of a work on which much love has been lavished.At the heart of this triumph is the delightful 20 year old Keira Knightley as the assured and sharp Elizabeth Bennett, the second of five daughters looking to be married off by an anxious mother.
Matthew MacFadyen is suitably brooding and gauche as Mr Darcy, but the cast list is enlivened with splendid British character actors, including Brenda Blethyn as Lizzie's irascible mother, Tom Hollander as a diminutive cleric seeking a wife, and Judi Dench as the formidable Lady Catherine, plus the Canadian Donald Sutherland (Lizzie's wise father).This is a Georgian world in which social conventions present a veritable minefield for indiscretions or misunderstandings and in which a formal dance can be as intricate an occasion as international diplomacy.
There are so many clichéd shots (if I ever have to see someone stare at a candle in the foreground for an entire shot while having a conversation, and then blow it out for the scene change, or a door slamming shut with a dull, resounding crash directly into the camera, I may scream.)Darcy is boring; Collins is boring; Bingley looks like a woman; Mrs. Bennett is not funny as she is in the BBC version, she is merely irritating.
Another 15 goes to "moving" shots of the beautiful landscape, while Lizzie stares pensively into the distance.I offer this as an especial warning to anyone who has not read the novel, who would be doing themselves a horrible disservice by seeing the movie before reading the book and watching the delightful Colin Firth BBC version - which is in every imaginable way a superior film to this sack of sugary rubbish.
From the film's first shot - Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet wandering reading through a field at dawn, thus invoking all the clichés cinema has developed to address the phenomenon of the strong-minded rebellious female character in period drama - I knew I was in for something to make me want to kill myself.Joe Wright seemed not only to have not read the book, but to be under the regrettable misapprehension that what he was filming was not in fact Jane Austen's subtle, nuanced comedy of manners conducted through sparkling, delicate social interaction in eighteenth century English drawing-rooms, but a sort of U-certificate Wuthering Heights.
I saw "Pride and Prejudice" and was disappointed.This version of Jane Austen's novel guts the story of its social commentary and leaves behind a flopping insipid Harlequin romance.Or as a more eloquent writer, Langston Hughes wrote about "Porgy and Bess"Paraphrased (what I remember of the review): It is the frothy foam of a mug of beer.
Not only is this film confused about which time period its meant to be in, but the story has been mutilated beyond comprehension, if it hadn't been for the title at the start of the film i would have thought i'd walked into the wrong screen, and i cant think of a worse actress to play ELizabeth Bennett than Keira Knightley.
Pride and Prejudice is not only my favourite book but the Colin Firth version is also my favourite drama and Elizabeth Bennett a strong character with a certain essence and intelligence which Knightley was incapable of bringing to the fore.
This was especially apparent in the first proposal from Darcy, which was so cringe-worthy I could barely stop myself from covering my ears and running out of the cinema.This film was cast, produced and directed so poorly, I beg everyone to read the book or watch the original in order to enjoy this fabulous story and leave this pure Americanised trash where it belongs..
If you must watch this movie, rent it, but if you would like to enjoy Pride and Prejudice, rent the A&E version with Collin Firth, now he is a real Mr. Darcy!.
Although she was the best of a bad bunch she did not portray the Elizabeth Bennet of the Austin novel never even came close.Matthew MacFadyen would have been better cast as one of the un-dead in Land of the Dead movie as his acting was as wooden as a flesh eating zombie.Simon Woods (Mr Bingley) with his crop of ginger hair and imbecilic smile.
And I have to say, I pretty much got what I expected - just let me remind you, that wasn't a whole lot.Firstly, this film is NOT Jane Austen's version of Pride & Prejudice - it's more like an odd, re-written version of P&P by Emily Bronte.
Instead of the novel's original clever, witty and fairly quiet suburban, drawing room satire, director Joe Wright chose to create a lush, sweeping, romantic saga, set against stark and gloriously beautiful locations.Essentially, the story is pared down to its bare roots -- Lizzie Bennett, a precocious and rather giggly girl, meets and hates-on-first-sight Mr Darcy, the uptight and taciturn friend of Mr Bingly, the new renter of Netherfield Park.
The story follows Lizzie as she first hates and then falls in love with the increasingly emotionally fragile Darcy, overcoming her prejudice towards him, and assisting Jane in establishing a relationship (and marriage) with Bingly.Sadly, many wonderful (and, in my opinion, extremely necessary) characters fall to the wayside - the clever caricatures of Mr Collins (the obtuse, silly, mean spirited cousin), Mrs Bennett (now just a tad whiny but mostly lovable), Mr Bennett (indulgent rather than scathing), and Lady Catherine (still nasty and selfish, but lacking any of Austen's delicious wit) all dwindle down to not-much-ness.
Sadly, any adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that reduces itself to 2 hours of screening time will never achieve this feat.Although there were some good performances, and some original takes on the material, director Joe Wright simply shot himself in the foot by his own endeavours.
Austen's original text relies on the non-realistic elements of satire and caricature to carry those parts, and in this production it is missing.Therefore, the onus is on the leads, Kiera Knightley and Matthew MacFayden, to turn this film from a mediocre remake, into a charming love story.
While Knightley is exceptional as Elizabeth Bennet (although supposed attempts to make her unattractive during filming obviously didn't work - an unstraightened fringe is not equivalent to ugliness!), MacFayden fails dismally at his attempts to bring any life or originality into the character of Darcy.
Unfortunately the movie isn't that good for a lot of reasons.What make Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice an amazing book isn't the love story between Lizzy and Darcy, but how she was able to concoct a full circle story full of subplots with so few in her hands.
Even the movie using most of the original dialogs, the actors seems to don't know whom they are exactly playing because they never give the impact or the subtle characteristics that Jane describes.Mr. Bennet in the book is described as a man intensively sarcastic, dried by years of a marriage that slowly replaced the love by a day-by-day consideration and convenience, respecting and being comprehensible to everyone but never being a tender figure, completely the opposite of what Donald Sutherland portrayed in the movie and his remaining American accent.
Whatever flaws do exist in the film aren't even noticeable, and once you're swept into the magic of the story the spell is not broken for one moment until the television is turned off.The true surprise of this movie, for me anyway, was Matthew MacFadyen's excellent portrayal of Fitzwilliam Darcy.
The whole picture house joined in with the journey, sighing, laughing and gasping in all the same places.I felt completely at home with all the characters, Keira is wonderful as Elizabeth, Mathew Macfadyen, tremendous as Darcy, Brenda Blethyn outstanding as Mrs Bennet, Donald Sutherland a joy to watch as always.
I'm not a huge fan of period drama but love historical films in general so wanted to give it a go.I haven't read the book (have too many I want to read as it is)and have not seen the TV version so I am considering this as a film in its own right, not as an adaptation.The acting was brilliant from nearly all concerned (particularly Keira Knightley and Donald Sutherland) and the film keeps a good pace (slow, dragging stories are usually my concern in this type of film).The one let down could maybe be one of the sisters (sorry, can't remember name) who was incredibly annoying - but she may be meant to be that way.Cinematography was also stunning.
After a good friend handed me Pride and Prejudice in eighth grade and implored me to read it, I have re-entered the world of the Bennet's each year wondering when a movie was going to be made that could capture Austen's characters I knew so well from the book.
I thought Rosamunde Pike as Jane Bennet was perfect, Simon Woods as Mr Bingley was charming although perhaps a little too puppyish, I enjoyed Donald Sutherland and Brenda Blethyn as Mr and Mrs Bennet and I'm one who thinks Matthew MacFadyen did a very good job as Mr Darcy, a characterization which was slightly more user-friendly than Colin Firth's 1995 Darcy.
Moral of the story: if you're going to try to adapt something and make it "easier" to understand, at least try to do it without making a mockery of the best parts of the original.On the plus side, the cinematography was beautiful and the casting generally good, and at times it did seem a little more realistic than many period pieces, with mud and dirt and messy hair, but unfortunately this impression of realism is also partly because the makers changed the behaviour of Jane Austen's characters to seem slightly more modern and thus normal to us.
If you want better Austen productions, try Roger Michell's version of Persuasion (1995), Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (1995), Douglas McGrath's Emma (1996), or my preferred version of Pride and Prejudice - the 1995 mini series directed by Simon Langton (not strictly comparable seeing as it's roughly five hours and the film had to fit the story into about two, but nevertheless a much better telling of the story).Or why not even go one better and try reading the book?.
It's not a word-for-word adaptation of the book, and cannot be considered a replacement for it (as in, "Oh, I always meant to read Pride and Prejudice, but now I'll just see the movie.") Die-hard Jane Austen fans might not care for it so much, but, speaking as someone who loved both the book AND the movie, I can honestly say that it's a very satisfying and charming film.9.5/10 stars.
~_^ So yes, even though it pains me and I feel disloyal to A & E and Colin Firth, I must give this film a 9 out of 10 for wonderful awkward moments, superb acting, and the most-perfect-to-date portrayal of Jane Austen's novel I have ever seen.thespian wishes, ~*kitty Walsh*~.
I could imagine Matthew MacFadyen as Mr Darcy after his great role in Spooks, but must say I was sceptical of the casting of Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Bennet) and Rosamund Pike (Jane Bennet).
Soft little touches like this, throughout the film, make it work far better than some dry BBC version of any Jane Austen book.Yes yes, I'm male, and I enjoy a good car chase and explosion as much as the next guy.
I wanted to watch it, if for no other reason than to find out.I think the only redeeming quality that I found in the entire movie was that the actors were about the same ages as the characters that they portrayed, unlike the 1995 version.I didn't care for Matthew McFayden's Mr. Darcy.
I couldn't look at Donald Sutherland and not ask myself, "What the heck is he doing in this film?" If you're a Jane Austen fan, I give this movie two thumbs down. |
tt0095159 | A Fish Called Wanda | George Thomason (Tom Georgeson) and his right-hand man, Ken Pile (Michael Palin), a beleaguered animal lover with a bad stutter, plan a jewel heist and bring in two Americans to help: an alluring con artist, Wanda Gershwitz (Jamie Lee Curtis) and a "weapons man", Otto West (Kevin Kline). Wanda and Otto are lovers pretending to be siblings so that Wanda can work her charms on George and Ken. Wanda and Otto plan to betray Ken and George after the heist, and vice-versa. Wanda, it later transpires, is also planning to betray Otto.After the robbery, Wanda and Otto betray George to the police, intending to take all the loot for themselves, but discover that George and Ken have moved the loot to a new location. Wanda decides to seduce George's unhappily married lawyer, Archie Leach (John Cleese) to find out where it is. Meanwhile, Ken is charged by George to silence a key witness, and Otto exerts his energies in fits of jealousy over Wanda and Archie and of impatience with Ken and Britain in general. Otto's interference, and other incidences of bad luck, lead Wanda and Archie's liaisons to go disastrously wrong.There is subsequent confusion and slapstick. For example, in various attempts to kill the witness, the animal-loving Ken accidentally instead kills her three Yorkshire Terriers one by one. The witness eventually suffers a fatal heart attack when her third Terrier is killed. The title is derived from the name of Ken's favorite tropical fish, which Otto eats alive, to Ken's distress, during the farcical torture scene.Archie and Wanda gradually fall in love and the movie ends with those two leaving the country with the jewels. Ken finally has his revenge on Otto by running him over with a steamroller (which he somehow survives). Title cards at the end of the movie reveal their futures: "Archie and Wanda were married in Rio, had seventeen children, and founded a leper colony. Ken became Master of Ceremonies at the London Sea World. Otto emigrated to South Africa and became Minister for Justice.=================================At the London flat of Ken an animal lover with a large tank of tropical fish (the large angelfish is named "Wanda", after his flatmate George's sexy American girlfriend) and a nasty stutter, a meeting takes place with himself, the attractive Wanda, her lover George and her "brother" Otto. They plan to rob the store of a prominent London jeweler and steal a cache of diamonds. Otto, a belligerent and boisterous former CIA operative, will provide the weapons and plot the strategy to rob the business with no deaths involved, at the behest of George, who has brought the idea for the caper to the group.The robbery goes off without a hitch and as the team makes their getaway, they nearly run over an elderly woman out walking her dogs. She sees George without his ski mask on. The team splits up, George, Wanda and Otto place the diamonds in a small safe housed in a garage and continue with their plan to lay low for a few days before flying out of the country. Just after Wanda and Otto leave the garage, George returns, retrieves the loot and drives off with it.Back at Otto's flat, Wanda (who reveals that Otto is not her brother but her 2nd lover) fends off Otto's attempts at seducing her long enough to have Otto phone the police and give them George's name.George is arrested at his own flat and implicated with the crime; he has particles of on the leg of his trousers from the jeweler's. George is allowed to meet with Ken and gives him a small key, which Ken hides in the tiny treasure chest of his aquarium -- Wanda sees Ken hiding the key and later takes it, hiding it in her locket. When Wanda and Otto meet with George, he is immediately suspicious of Otto. At a police lineup, the woman that George nearly killed with his car points him out as the man who nearly killed her dogs. At the grand jury hearing, George gives Ken a small nod, identifying the old lady.Wanda sees that George is being represented by a barrister named Archie Leach. Wanda begins to play up to him, trying to find out more information about George's case. Archie initially tells her he is not allowed to speak to her since she's been subpoenaed as a character witness for George. Archie, himself in a loveless marriage, later acquiesces, saying that it's permitted for him to talk to Wanda as long as they don't discuss the case itself. The two meet clandestinely several times -- at Archie's house, while his wife and daughter are out for the evening, Wanda loses her locket with the key inside. Archie's wife, having returned with their daughter after they had a tire blow out, believes the locket is a gift to her from Archie. Wanda demands the locket be returned.Wanda is also faced with Otto's extreme jealousy with regards to Wanda's attempts to seduce Archie. Several times Otto threatens Archie with bodily harm, even dangling him out a window. Wanda is furious, explaining to Otto that his jealous behavior may get them in trouble & they still won't be able to find out where George hid the diamonds. She convinces Otto to apologize to Archie.Archie's attempts to get the locket back from his wife mostly fail. One day he goes to his own house and stages a robbery. While he loots a few small objects from his wife's jewelry collection (and breaks a small ceramic figurine) Otto, who'd arrived at Archie's house to apologize, finds him and beats him, believing he's helping out Archie by catching a random burglar. When he discovers that he's beaten Archie himself, he leaves him tied up and flees. Archie, just as his wife arrives home and becomes distraught at the minor destruction her husband had staged, hides Wanda's locket in his mouth until his hands are freed and he can spit it out and hide it in his pocket. He rushes off to a flat belonging to a friend and meets Wanda, giving her the locket. The two decide to have sex -- Archie inadvertently finds that Wanda can be easily seduced when he speaks any foreign language, until they're interrupted by a family that had rented the flat. Archie is caught naked and embarrassed. He calls Wanda and says he's going to end their tryst. Right after he does so and returns home, he's intercepted by Otto, who apologizes to him and grants him permission to continue his affair with Wanda. However, Archie's wife, Wendy, is listening from an open window above.Wanda tries unsuccessfully to identify George's key and Ken, charged by George with killing the elderly woman with the dogs, tries to make her death look accidental. He only succeeds in killing her dogs one by one until, when he accidentally kills the last dog, the woman dies of a heart attack on the street. Ken reports to George, who gives Ken the go-ahead to retrieve the loot & pack for their escape destination: Rio de Janeiro, saying they'll take both Wanda and Otto & eliminate Otto later. At Ken's flat, Otto figures out that Ken knows where the loot is & tortures him: he ties Ken up and eats all the fish in his aquarium one at a time, including the beloved angelfish Wanda until Ken confesses that the safety deposit box is in a hotel near Heathrow Airport. However, the key is not in the aquarium and Otto calls Wanda, who tells him she'll give him the key and the loot if they flee to Rio together after she testifies on George's behalf.In court, Wanda takes the stand and Archie questions her about her relationship with George. She portrays him as an honest man until she drops a few details that clue the court into George's involvement in the crime, stating that George had left their flat armed with a shotgun right before the crime. Archie, surprised by Wanda's turn, calls her by her first name and calls her "Darling". Wendy, observing in the mezzanine, is silently infuriated.George becomes enraged at Wanda's comments and attacks her, causing general melee in the room while the guards try to subdue him. Archie receives a knock on the head from George and is left alone in the courtroom. When Wendy approaches him, she slaps him and tells him she's filing for divorce. Archie then takes a private meeting with George, assuring him that he'd arranged to lead Wanda on the witness stand to get George exonerated. He strikes a deal with George to receive a lesser sentence and convinces George to reveal the location of the diamonds: George tells Archie he'll find Ken back at his flat, who knows where they are.Outside the court building, Archie finds Wanda trying to sneak off and takes her in his car to George's flat. Archie goes in alone to find Ken and possibly face off against Otto. He finds Ken tied up and hears a car collision outside: Otto, having found Wanda alone, takes off with her after the minor fender-bender to the airport. Archie tries to get the nervously stuttering Ken to tell him where the diamonds are hidden. He finally gets Ken to write down the name of the hotel and they take off for the airport.At the Cathcart, Wanda and Otto retrieve the diamonds and get their tickets to Rio. As they walk to the gate, Wanda clubs Otto and locks him in a small closet. Archie finds Otto lagging behind Wanda after she'd clubbed him and is able to grab Otto's Walther PPK but tricks Archie into dropping it and grabs it himself. Having a few minutes before he has to leave with Wanda, Otto takes great delight in humiliating Archie by making him stand in a barrel of used oil outside the terminal while insulting him and his British heritage. He prepares to shoot Archie when he sees Ken driving toward him on a steamroller. Thinking that Ken could never catch up to him, much less kill him, Otto steps into a recent batch of wet concrete and is stuck. Frantically apologizing to the vengeance-bent Ken for eating his fish, he's run under the steamroller. Ken, overjoyed at gaining revenge on his tormentor, suddenly loses his stutter and is arrested.Archie is able to make it to Wanda's plane and the two reconcile. As they take off, Otto, still alive, suddenly appears at their window but is blown off. Closing titles tell us that Archie and Wanda married, had children & founded a leper colony. Ken became master of ceremonies at London Sea World. Otto left for South Africa and became a minister of justice. | comedy, dark, cult, absurd, psychedelic, humor | train | imdb | null |
tt0104870 | Mikey | A young boy, Mikey, sets newspapers on fire in his basement. He blames his younger sister, Beth, when his foster mother admonishes him. His foster mother Grace Kelvin disciplines him and he yells at Beth, taking her doll and throwing it in the pool. When Beth reaches to get it, Mikey causes her to fall into the pool and drown. Mikey is secretly taping everything. He goes upstairs and overhears his mother telling a friend on the phone that adopting Mikey was a bad idea while she takes a bath. The phone dies and Mikey walks in. Startled, his mother yells at him to get out. Mikey picks up her blow dryer and turns it on, and begins to taunt her. He throws it and she is instantly electrocuted. Mikey goes downstairs and pours a bunch of marbles onto the floor. When his foster father Harold arrives home, he rushed out to greet him as if nothing has happened. They sit and chat for a moment when he sees his dead daughter floating lifeless in the pool. In a frantic state he rushes towards the door but slips on the marbles Mikey had laid down earlier. Mikey proceeds to beat him in the head with a baseball bat. Soon after, the police have arrived to find Mikey "hiding" in a closet. He tells them a man came in and killed his family.
A psychiatrist recommends that Mikey get fostered as soon as possible. His foster mother's sister is put forward as a prospective foster carer, but she does not want anything to do with Mikey. She states that he was adopted and that it was suspected that he was abused by members of his family. She does not present as somebody who is overly interested in taking care of a young child.
He is then sent to a new family, Neil and Rachel Trenton, who don't know anything about Mikey's past. Mikey presents himself as an amiable and loving child. For example, when he first meets his foster parents he asks, "Are you going to be my new mommy and daddy?" At first, he does not behave as if he is disturbed and he exhibits caring behavior towards his new mother's fish. He also manifests behavior which is not out of the ordinary in his desire to succeed in a game which his class at school plays. However, the harmony is short lived. Mikey begins to draw pictures of his murders. Something his new parents don't recognize. He also begins to self-mutilate his arm with a thumbtack at school. His teacher notices, and tells his parents who refuse to believe it. Mikey has a horrible tantrum when his new mother sells the baby fish he was in charge of feeding. He yells that she doesn't really love him and that she's not his real mother and Neil is not his real father. Another incident occurs shortly after when Mikey walks in on his mother in the bath. He says he was bringing her flowers for being such a great mom. He then sets the flowers down and picks up her curling iron. He tells her he knows that if he threw it in the water, it would electrocute her like an electric chair. She tells him to unplug it and get out. He does so without complaint.
Mikey then falls in love with his new best friend, Ben's older sister, Jessie. She, however, is not interested in him as she is 15 years old and is dating a young man named David. One night, after Mikey had slingshot rocks at Jessie's window, David is told to leave. Mikey murders Jessie's cat, Rosie, and makes it look David accidentally murdered her. Depressed and angry, Jessie dumps David. It is short lived however, and when Mikey discovers this he tricks Jessie into leaving David alone in the hot tub. Mikey yells at David for killing Rosie. He then proceeds to kick the stereo into the water and David is killed instantly. Once again, Mikey films his murders.
The next day, Mikey is allowed to stay home from school. He is sitting with Jessie telling her not to be sad David deserved it for killing Rosie. Jessie tells that's sick and Mikey responds, "Now you can just love me!" She tells Mikey to go away and leave her alone when he tries to embrace her. Suspecting Mikey killed David, Jessie goes to his mother and tells her there's something wrong with Mikey and that she was in danger. Assuming it was Jessie's stress over David, Rachel politely asks her to leave.
Mikey's teacher Shawn, who is also a family friend, found out the connection between Mikey's previous foster mother and David. She informs the principal who tells her he'll go with her to talk to the family. He finds a gun in her purse and immediately takes it.
Back at Mikey's house, he has just heard the argument between Rachel and Jessie. Rachel goes upstairs and find Mikey watching a movie. He tells her he's watching Mikey's Funniest Home Movies. She realizes that it's the murder of his previous family. Mikey slowly stands holding a hammer. Rachel demands that Mikey give it to her and he agrees. He pretends to hand it over before smashing her hand. He begins to beat her with the hammer. She pushes him down and says it's over. He continues to beat and she begs "NO MORE"; she manages to get herself locked in her bedroom. She tries to call for help, but the phone does not work. Mikey smashes through the patio door. He picks up a shard of glass and rushed Rachel with it. They both fly off the balcony and are soon discovered by Shawn and the principal. Rachel's throat is slit and Mikey appears to have no pulse. The both walk outside for a moment. The principal says he will go in and call the police and Shawn says she'll wait. When he goes in, he realizes Mikey is not there. He sets his gun on the counter to call the police. Mikey comes in with a bow and arrow; the principal tries to shoot, but Mikey took the bullets from the gun. Mikey then shoots him through the heart with an arrow. Shawn comes in and Mikey starts to sling marbles at her with his slingshot. He tells her he really liked her marble game and then proceeds to take a larger than average marble and hit her in the head. She dies instantly.
Mikey begins to take all the dead bodies and put them at the dinner table. He also turns all the oven dials on high. His father calls and tells him he'll be home soon. Mikey then showers and goes over to Jessie's house. He asks if Ben is home. She tells him no and to go home. She slams the door and runs upstairs only to be greeted by Mikey who climbed in through his "secret" way. She tells him to use the front door to leave and locks her door. Whens she opens the door, Mikey shoots an arrow at her. It misses and hits a picture that once had her and David on it, but Mikey puts a photo of himself in David's place.
Hearing his dad's car pull in, Mikey rushes to greet him. Jessie's tries to yell from the window, but Neil doesn't hear her and goes inside. Once inside, they chit chat for a moment. Mikey then grabs his dad's arm telling him there's a surprise. His father sees all of the murder victims along with a skeleton. Speechless and unable to move, Neil's last vision is that of Mikey throwing fire into the house and the house exploding. Jessie is seen talking to cops who assure her they found the remains of a 12-year-old male.
Later, another couple is about meet their adoptive child, Josh, who was found wandering and suffering from complete amnesia. Josh is revealed to be Mikey who again asks, "Are you going to be my new mommy and daddy?" | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0450314 | Punisher: War Zone | Frank Castle, who has been the Punisher for five years, assaults a party for mob boss Gaitano Cesare, and kills him and the guests. Billy "The Beaut" Russotti escapes to his recycling plant hideout, and Detectives Martin Soap and Saffiotti, who were staking out the party, inform Castle. Castle infiltrates Russoti's hideout, and after a brief firefight, Russoti is thrown into a glass-crushing machine that leaves him hideously disfigured. Russoti later refers to himself as "Jigsaw" because the stitches in his face resemble puzzle pieces. Castle, who takes cover behind the body of Nicky Donatelli, discovers that Donatelli was actually an undercover agent.
Agent Paul Budiansky, the deceased agent's partner, joins the NYPD's "Punisher Task Force", partnering with Soap to help bring Castle to justice. Meanwhile, Jigsaw frees his deranged and cannibalistic brother, "Loony Bin Jim".
Distraught over killing the agent, Castle attempts to make reparations to Donatelli's wife, Angela, and daughter, Grace, to no avail. Castle threatens to retire from the vigilante business, but his armorer, Microchip, forces him to reconsider, telling him Jigsaw will go after Donatelli's family for revenge.
Jigsaw, Loony Bin Jim, and two goons, Ink and Pittsy, break into Donatelli's house and hold the family hostage. The Punisher tracks down Maginty, a known associate of Jigsaw, executing him after extracting the information before being apprehended by Budiansky and Soap. Castle tells him Jigsaw went after Donatelli's family, and Budiansky sends a police car to check on the Donatelli house, intending to turn the Punisher in. When the patrol car fails to respond, Budiansky checks on the house, where he is captured by Ink and Pittsy. Soap frees the Punisher, who kills Ink and Pittsy before leading Donatelli's wife and daughter away. Budiansky then arrests Jigsaw and Loony Bin Jim after a short gunfight.
Jigsaw and his brother bargain with the FBI for their release by giving up Cristu Bulat, who was smuggling in a biological weapon destined for Arab terrorists in Queens, New York. The brothers are granted immunity, plus the US$12 million Bulat was paying to use Jigsaw's port, and a file on Micro. They take Micro hostage, killing his mother in the process. They once again take the Donatellis hostage, after critically injuring Micro's associate Carlos, whom Castle had left to protect them. Castle later arrives at the hideout, and euthanizes Carlos. Jigsaw sets himself up in the Bradstreet Hotel, putting together a small army of gangsters who want to see the Punisher dead. Castle enlists the help of Budiansky, who informs Cristu's father, Tiberiu Bulat, where Jigsaw is located. Tiberiu's goons start a shootout in the hotel lobby, affording Castle a distraction.
Castle enters through a second-floor window, leading to a firefight with Jigsaw's hired guns. Afterward, Castle engages Loony Bin Jim in hand-to-hand combat; realizing he will probably not survive the brawl, Jim runs away. Castle chases him and confronts both him and Jigsaw, who are holding Micro and Grace Donatelli at gunpoint. Jigsaw gives Castle a choice: If Frank shoots Micro, Jigsaw will let the others go free. Micro bravely offers his life to save the girl, but Castle chooses to shoot Loony Bin Jim instead. As a result, Jigsaw kills Micro. Enraged by the loss of his partner, Castle attacks Jigsaw, eventually impaling him with a metal rod and throwing him onto a fire. As Jigsaw burns to death, Castle calmly tells him, "This is just the beginning." Outside, Angela forgives Castle, who bids farewell to Budiansky and the Donatelli family. As Castle and Soap leave together, Soap tries to convince Castle to give up his vigilante status after having "killed every criminal in town." Soap changes his mind when he is held up by a murderous mugger who quickly becomes another victim of the Punisher. | neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, insanity, revenge | train | wikipedia | This movie is just what I wanted, and what I expected.Ray Stevenson is perfect as Frank Castle, and everyone else is at least good enough for an action movie.
I was a bit worried that I would be let down after reading some of the early reviews, my suspicious about the reviewers not understanding the character were confirmed though.Stevenson is a brilliant Frank Castle, the guy is a tank in this movie, shredding through his opposition just like a on screen manifestation of the character should.
The critics complaining about the gore prove them unfit in being tasked with stepping anywhere near the film with a pencil and paper, doling out stars or thumbs.While Im afraid the film will not get the critical recognition it deserves, with the majority of critics not understanding the character, I as a fan of Castle say I'm thoroughly pleased by the work the entire cast and crew have put forth.While I agree that the movie was loyal to the source material and worth my dollars, there was one main area I think should have been retooled.Jigsaw and Jim's accent is over the top, and in the end took away from the character, especially in the case of Jim.At a glancePros: Unapologetically Punisher Level Brutality Stevenson is a compelling Frank Castle Movie pacing is greatCons: Cliché accents Could have used some more dialogue from FrankOverall: 8/10Bottom Line: If you are a punisher fan, you're in for a blast.
If, however, you are in the mood for just senseless violence, blood, guts, exploding heads, and a lot of cool ways to watch people die, like in Friday the 13th, then I can PROMISE you Punisher: War Zone will NOT disappoint!
The First True Punisher Film is not for People with Weak Stomachs, but Extreme Action Lovers Will have a Hell of a Good Time!.
Dominic West is good as Jigsaw, but I felt he might have hammed it up a bit in a few scenes.Lexi Alexander has made the quintessential Punisher film that dares to show you the gritty world of the Punisher without shying away from all the gore.
I can only hope that a sequel will be on the way soon.Fans of the Punisher comics and extreme action lovers will eat this up, but know that this is not a movie for kids or people who can't take a ton of gore.*** out of ****.
A good action movie that does justice to The Punisher comic book.
That movie had its own reason to be liked in that it was a brave move to bring an ultra-violent (Punisher has even used nuclear bomb to kill an otherwise unkillable villain), gory and very dark comic, which only had a cult following, to the mainstream cinema.
While that movie did not feel like a comic book adaptation at all, the story being pretty ordinary and plot being too heavy, war zone is much closer to the source material.
I was one of these people though and I was at least hoping that more would be made of the rage and loss inside Castle but again, a few flashbacks aside, he generally just broods around the place full of vengeful justice.What carries the film then is a series of brutal action sequences and effects shots, all full of callous violence, macho posturing and gun play that rewrites all rules of the real world.
You can see it in the excess but also in the Patton reference and other silly things; all of these imply that it should be a little bit camp with the darkness (hence making it a bit more fun and accessible) but it doesn't do this and those that play to this side of it are left just looking silly in a bad way rather than a good way.Specifically West suffers from this as his comic book villain is lost in the sea of gore.
Hutchinson matches West by overplaying but again the sense of comic book madness is taken away by the gore.Punisher War Zone is a basic genre film then.
Punisher: War Zone is not the brainless action flick cash grab that I expected, in fact it rivals the 2004 version.For a start Ray Stevenson is perfectly cast as The Punisher, he looks perfect and blows Jane & even Lungren out of the water.
He thoroughly takes the role and makes it his amidst a host of great actors and characters.Extremely violent and quite loyal to the original material this is something I could have gotten behind if it had become a franchise.I'm not an action junkie, in fact I'd say it is by far one of my least favourite genres but when its done right like it is here it makes for some great entertainment.Ignore the critics and put the 2004 version aside for a moment, War Zone is a damn decent film.The Good: Remarkably violent (As it should be) Awesome soundtrack Very competent cast Ray Stevenson makes a great Punisher The Bad: Accents are hit and miss Recasting/Reebooting so soon after the last movie was a stupid move Hero is a Christian, villain is an atheist.
For me, Ray Stevenson is THE PUNISHER!!!!I like Dolph and Tom's interpretation are good (though Tom Jane's performance is more of a Taxi Driver character then a Punisher), Stevenson was the best and showed a wider range of emotion, a great voice, fighting, guns, and all together look and feel of Frank Castle.This is one of the best adaption of a comic in a long time, the back story for Frank Castle was right on target and though Jigsaw's origin is modified its a better origin.
Everyone fit perfect.The story for the movie felt like a comic book, as The Punisher takes out criminals and how Jigsaw and his brother Looney Bin Jim wants revenge makes for great entertainment.
But I do not want to spoil anything for moviegoers, if you enjoy comics, action, or revenge movies, check this one out.For all the people who reviewed this movie and either bitch about the violence or didn't like this incarnation of The Punisher had no idea about the character nor even read the comic book or didn't start reading until after the 2004 version.
One perplexing review comes from Roger Ebert, who seems to praise the film in several ways while outright damning it to the same exact two star rating he applied to the first two (far dumber and less entertaining) Punisher movies: "The Punisher: War Zone is one of the best-made bad movies I've seen.
The superb and colorful cinematography, action choreography, sound effects, score, and editing make "Punisher: War Zone" a must for (dark) comic book fans and action film junkies..
After hunting down and killing hundreds of violent criminals, Frank Castle, aka The Punisher (Ray Stevenson , though Thomas Jane was originally attached for the lead role, but he turned it down, stating that he thought the script was going in the wrong direction) faces his most deadly foe yet : Jigsaw (Dominic West originally passed on the villain role , Paddy Considine was in talks to play the role, when he came back and accepted to play the part) .
The huge body count racked up by Ray Stevenson/The Punisher is 81 confirmed kills, excluding the two cases where he shoots someone "on the same side." The tale bears a remarkable resemblance with Charles Bronson films of the series 'Death wish', for the matter, the vengeance,as the starring becomes a hit man and acting as a judge, jury and executioner and no better the mobsters he's pursuing .
If all you want is blood, death, violence without purpose, a thinly threaded storyline pieced together merely to get from one lame gun battle to the next you'll love this movie.If you're looking for any of the depth of character, or rich storyline of the contemporary Punisher Max books, don't waste your time with this movie, you will not find the tightly knit story telling Enis has been spoiling Punisher fans with the past few years..
I enjoy action films as much as any other but i can't take JUNK.The only two good actors were Ray Stevenson (Punisher) and Colin Salmon (Black FBI guy; he was the commando leader in Resident Evil) after that it seems every body else was picked at the streets and it shows; and the dialog seems to have been written by an 8 years older.Jesus now I understand why Thomas Jane and the original director quit the movie.And the Jigsaw guy was a joke for a villain, he acted like a retard villain from a BAD TV show.
-worst acting ever -punisher said 3 lines in the whole movie -super anticlimactic -every set looked like a warehouse -no story at all -can't even see his SKULL!!
Not to mention Punisher isn't even half this ridicules in the comics.No matter what way I look at it, I can't think of a single thing this movie did right.0/10.
Every cliché you could possibly think of is on display here.In all, I just remember feeling embarrassed for the medium of film, Comic Book Movies, the actors, and the Punisher himself.
The acting is on target--Stevenson is very affecting in the title role and West and Hutchison go WAY over the top and are clearly enjoying themselves.So this is EXTREMELY violent but a good strong action film..
"Punisher: War Zone" is a great action movie, developed in an adequate pace and with a solid story and good acting, special effects and soundtrack.
Jigsaw was good but I think audiences will subconsciously compare him to a villain in a little movie people like call The Dark Knight and find him the inferior product.
The acting wasn't great either , it was over the top stuff that i don't mind coming from a punisher movie.The writer and director were definitely Fans of the Garth Ennis Run on The Marvel Comic Punisher MAX.
I went into this with reasonably high hopes - having heard phrases such as "sickening and pointlessly violent" bandied around by reviewers stateside.For me, this is what a punisher film SHOULD be - he's not out to win the Nobel Prize, after all.I wasn't sure, however, about the lack of Thomas Jane when I heard he'd abandoned the project - thinking that Ray Stevenson wouldn't really be up to the job.
I mean, if you're insistent on having a bad guy who smokes, at least get someone who CAN smoke (ie NOT Travolta, he looks like a kid trying to be cool = FAIL)So, to sum up, I'd recommend this to fans of the Punisher comics (who will surely enjoy it) or just any action fans in general.
(can we get a body count?).If you're at all a fan of the Punisher comics, especially the later stories, you should like this film.
Ray Stevenson's portrayal of Frank Castle would have made Thomas Jane's Frank Castle and Dolph "I Must Break You" Lundgren's Frank Castle soil themselves.Someone on this site said that Lexi Alexander killed the Punisher series with this movie.
I'll keep this Simple and Clear: First REAL Punisher movie that pays big tribute to the MAX or Marvel Knights comic series.Ray's portrayal of Frank Castle matches what I envisioned in the Comics.Story was well paced, loved it, no loop holes, comedy timing was perfect, Movie flowed in full circle without leaving you feel as though something is missing.A Man's movie made by a woman!
The brutal violet Punisher shows in this one.NOT the Thomas Jane pretty boy Punisher NOT the Dolph Lundgren no action Punisher (I enjoyed Dolph Punisher 10 times better the Thomas) Ray Stevenson is the Punisher we have been waiting for IF your a fan of the comic book you won't be disappointed.
this is for me,hands down,the best Punisher movie hands down.i liked the story and there's plenty of action.also,there's no lame dialogue in this version.in fact the dialogue is kept to a minimum.but that works here.Ray Stevenson makes for A good Punisher.he seems very natural in the role.
I have to say I will remember to this movie,from this summer,it was released straight to video(DVD)here in Hungary,maybe from economical reasons,but I have to recommend this film for action,and also for horror fans,cause this is very gory,and violent.Do not see the trailer before see the film,cause this film has a little problem,with scenery,but it will not hurt you if you see the film without see the trailer before the movie.The acting,is just great in this movie,I have to say that Ray Steveson as punisher,and Dominic West as Jigsaw,they were just awesome as main characters in this movie.Maybe the story line of Julie Benz has some irritating elements,but still has an interesting one.Lexi Alexanders movie was not really successful as business,against this was a very honest,and sometimes funny the smell of real world type of a film.I will keep my eyes on these artists.Against I'am not a fan of violent films,usually I found them,this one will not disappoint most of you.7/10.
If you want to see a good Punisher movie I suggest you watch the one that came before this starring Thomas Jane and John Travolta which wasn't really that bad compared to War Zone.
If you're looking for a good comic book movie then watch The Dark Knight, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, or Spider-man 2 because at least they're entertaining which makes them worth your time.
Punisher War Zone is another failed attempt to justice to a popular comic book character and if they do decide to do a third film lets just hope they make it a lot better than this one..
Calling himself Jigsaw he vows to do three things 1)Kill The Punisher2) retrieve the money that the FBI agent was holding for him he's convinced the Agent's Family has it.3) take over the mobs and oh yeah one little thing KILL THE PUNISHER!!!!The Agent's family is targeted by Jigsaw and when they attack them a guilt stricken Punisher shows up and saves them.Convinced that the family is now a target of Jigsaw's Castle moves them to his HQ where his operatives Microchip and Carlos watch over them while Castle goes out on the street looking for the jigsaw gang Too Bad Jigsaw and his gang find Microchip and the agent's family Jigsaw uses them as bait while he assembles a street army with one goal in mind the death of the Punisher.The movie plays out like a Punisher comic this franchise is in good hands if they decide to do a movie series with the punisher as a hero.My advice Keep Ray Stevenson on as Frank castle because he looks like the punisher and he acts like the way he's written in the books.
Most of the stuff in Punisher War Zone has been done better in other action films, but if you are really stuck for something to watch (like I was) then I would probably recommend this.
There's plenty more to go through in this movie alone.This loose sequel, reboot or remake, whatever viewers like to call it or want to believe continues the story of the Marvel anti-hero, Frank Castle AKA The Punisher.
I do hope that Lexi Alexander does more films like this one and that Ray Stevenson decides to do another Punisher film, after all if you read the comics there still is one villain left, Barracuda, check it out.
Punisher War Zone is a good, fun adaptation of the comic series, with much awesome action..
The Punisher is one of the good guys, probably the most dynamic action hero ever portrayed in a movie and although a comic-book character he has his sensitive side too.
Comic book movies have been lacking good villains lately, so it's great to see these two play off each other and go that extra mile to be truly great, and memorable, bad guys."Punisher: War Zone" seems to me to be a rare gem; not only is it an example of a superior sequel/reboot to its predecessor, but it's also a rare distinction of being a film that critics have hated, but fans have loved.
It doesn't get bogged down by trying to be cerebral and develop the characters, and the only emotional scene, if it can be deemed that way, would be very limited flashbacks as to how Frank became the vigilante Punisher.I would like to think that the strength of any comic book movie comes from the characterization of the villain(s).
He was an almost perfect casting choice for Frank Castle, meaning that were he given a half decent script and a director/screenwriters that hadn't decided to make a ridiculous comedy, I really do think that he could have made for a great portrayal of The Punisher.That aside, pretty much every other casting decision was horrible, Jigsaw and Looney bin Jim (possibly the stupidest character I've ever seen in an action movie) made me cringe every time they were on screen, until I finally gave up trying to enjoy it as a Punisher movie and just laughed at how ridiculous and campy it was, along with most of the rest of the audience.
I am not a Punisher fan but I do watch Marvel comic movies.
Doug Hutchison's portrayal of Loony Bin Jim is spot on, hitting just the right amount of crazy needed to portray the psychopath.Despite the acting not being as good as the 2004 version (which really, beyond Thomas Jane, wasn't great), the action sequences far surpass the previous Punisher films.
Especially after the good review from my coworker.Sat down to watch it with some buddies, and half an hour into the movie we were all so turned off by the bad acting from the support cast.Ray Stevenson did a great job as the Punisher and this is probably the best comic adaptation of the character.
Being a fan of the Punisher comic books, I watched this movie knowing what to expect. |
tt0069427 | Twins of Evil | The Gellhorn twins, Maria [Mary Collinson] and Frieda [Madelaine Collinson] have journeyed from Vienna to Karnstein in order to live with their aunt and uncle, Gustav [Peter Cushing] and Cathy [Kathleen Byron] Weil, following the death of their parents. Gustav Weil is a severely puritanical witch hunter who spends his nights searching out and burning the devil's servants--suspected witches and vampires. One of his greatest arch-enemies is Count Karnstein [Damien Thomas], said to practice the black arts and worship the devil, all under protection of the emperor. Karnstein is becoming weary of tedious black masses and bogus manifestations of the devil; he wants the real thing. When he becomes bored with the current 'sacrifice' of a village virgin, he completes the sacrifice himself. The blood seeps through a crack in the table, which just happens to be the tomb of Marcilla Karnstein [Katya Wyeth]. Marcilla resurrects and makes Karnstein vampire, too. Aunt Cathy enrolls the girls in school where the choirmaster Anton Hogger [David Warbeck] takes an immediate liking to Frieda. However, Frieda finds Count Karnstein more fascinating. One evening when Frieda has had enough of Uncle Gustav, she sneaks out of the house. She meets with Count Karnstein's carriage and is taken to the castle where he makes her vampire.Meanwhile, Anton Hoffer writes a letter to the church elders complaining about Gustav's burnings. "By burning," Anton scolds, "you char the body. The soul will only re-create itself in another body and continue with its carnage. Only a stake through the heart or decapitation will end their tormented evil." For all his knowledge, however, Anton's sister Ingrid [Isobel Black] is found the next day with vampire bites on her neck.Then it happens that Gustav comes across his own niece Frieda vampiring a man. "The Devil has sent me twins of evil!" he cries. He sends Frieda off to jail and goes home for Maria. Aunt Cathy will not allow him to take Maria who, at this very moment, is lying upstairs with a cross clasped to her breast. Unfortunately, Maria has a nightmare and drops the cross. Karnstein abducts Maria and switches her with Frieda. While the witch hunters prepare to burn Frieda (actually Maria), Anton goes to see Maria and recognizes Frieda right away. He escapes to warn Gustav who does not believe him."Hold up the holy cross and see if either of us flinches," challenges Anton.When both Maria and Anton pass the test, the puritans storm Karnstein castle to destroy Karnstein and Frieda. Gustav beheads Frieda himself, but Karnstein siezes Maria and threatens to throw her from a balcony. Gustav attempts to behead Karnstein with an ax but he misses; Karnstein axes Gustav instead. As Karnstein watches Gustav die, Anton throws a spear which stakes Karnstein through the heart. Maria is saved. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.] | cult, gothic | train | imdb | The delicious Collinson twins, Mary and Madeleine, are reason enough to catch this technically accomplished and subtly erotic horror flick from Hammer; these ladies are sex incarnate and burn up the screen every time they appear.Twins aside, director John Hough's contribution to English vampire lore is a very tight, exceptionally well directed and staged tale of bloodsucking and rampant desire.Peter Cushing, as Gustav Weil, is the God-fearing leader of The Brotherhood, a bunch of old witch-finders who stalk pretty girls with bad reputations and confine them to burning crosses.
Life gets complicated for old Gustav when his sexy niece (Madeleine Collinson) gets curious about Karnstein castle and its Satan-worshipping occupant (Damien Thomas) and decides to open her legs and heart to the arrogant neck-biter.TWINS OF EVIL gets everything right.
The third and final entry to the 'Karnstein Trilogy', "Twins of Evil" of 1971 is doubtlessly one of the creepiest and best films the great British Hammer Studios have brought forth in the early 70s.
After many Hammer beauties in other films, "Twins of Evil" brings us the eponymous twins in the leading role, played by the 19-year old former Playboy playmates Madeleine and Mary Collinson.
Only that this ruthless witch-hunter stands in opposition to a devil-worshiping clan of Vampires - The Karnsteins.After their parents' death, Venice twins Frieda and Maria Gellhorn (Madeleine and Mary Collinson) are sent to live with their aunt and uncle in an Austrian village.
The satanic Count Karnstein, who spends his time with bloody rituals, lives in the castle on a mountain near to the village..."Twins of Evil" magnificently combines several great Horror themes.
Loosely based on characters created by author Sheridan Le Fanu, TWINS OF EVIL concern twin sisters Maria and Freida (Mary and Madeline Collison) who have been recently orphaned and are sent to live with their guardian and uncle Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing.) Gustav is a most unpleasant man, the leader of a religious "brotherhood" whose ideas of salvation and repentance involves routing out every attractive woman in the district and burning them alive at the steak.
But the real drive of the film comes from Peter Cushing, who gives a surprisingly powerful performance as the maniacal Gustav; if given the choice between facing him or trying to ward off Thomas' vampire, well, most of us would probably feel we had a better chance against Count Karnstein!
TWINS OF EVIL Aspect ratio: 1.85:1Sound format: MonoThis exquisite, sexually charged shocker (the third and final entry in Hammer's unofficial Karnstein trilogy, following THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and LUST FOR A VAMPIRE, both produced in 1970) was directed by John Hough, a talented journeyman who began his career in British television (including notable episodes of "The Avengers") and later helmed the much-acclaimed ghost story THE LEGEND OF HELL HOUSE (1973) before relocating to America and getting lost on the Hollywood treadmill.
Here, working with a clever script (by Tudor Gates) and elegant period art direction (by Roy Stannard), he maintains a graceful period style which belies the film's threadbare budget and modest ambitions: A decadent lord of the manor (Damien Thomas) summons the ghost of Mircalla Karnstein (Katya Wyeth) from her grave and is subsequently transformed into a vampire, whereupon he targets the beautiful twin nieces of a local witchfinder (Peter Cushing).The plot is pure melodrama, but Hough plays it straight for the most part, except for a couple of humorous episodes early in the film (such as the notorious 'candle' incident during an unlikely sexual encounter between Thomas and Wyeth!).
Former 'Playboy' centerfolds Madeleine and Mary Collinson - who appear to have been dubbed in an effort to beef up their unskilled performances - are visually stunning in the bosomy Hammer style, while David Warbeck (later a cult favorite in mainland European exploitation movies), Dennis Price (KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS), Isobel Black (THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE) and Kathleen Byron (BLACK NARCISSUS) are featured in major supporting roles.
The last entry in the "Karnstein Trilogy" by Hammer Studios in the early 1970s, Twins of Evil, tells the story of a pair of nieces moving from Venice to live with their uncle in backward Eastern Europe right in the middle of superstition and a sect known as the Brotherhood, a group of Calvinistic vigilantes ridding the land of beautiful, full-figured women labeled witches(the waste!
But there's no real mystery why these twin girls were cast in these roles, although Cushing is rightly the star here.The film looks great and just like always Hammer captures the period strongly, from the set details of Karnstein's castle to the clothing and props.
In Austria some time in Seventeenth Century,after the deaths of their parents,nubile blonde twins Maria and Frieda(Playboy models Mary and Madeleine Collinson)go to live with their puritanical uncle,Gustav Weil(Peter Cushing),who leads a group of local witch hunters.His efforts to root out the servants of the devil are opposed by a local nobleman,Count Karnstein,whose depraved life and fascination with black magic greatly irritate Weil.Soon after the girls' arrival,the Count having been transformed into a vampire by the the spirit of one of his ancestors,which he had conjured from hell meets and seduces Frieda,who is herself reborn as a vampire."Twins of Evil" is one of my favourite horror films from Hammer.It's dark,creepy and genuinely erotic.The film was made two months after the death of Peter Cushing's beloved wife Helen, and it is surely no coincidence that he gives probably the grimmest performance of his career as the fanatical,but tortured witch-hunter Weil.Give it a look.9 out of 10..
Based on characters created by Sheridan Le Fanu, Hammer take one of their vampire movies and add puritan witch-finding into the mix as well.Upon the death of their parents identical twins Maria and Frieda Gellhorn are relocated to Karnstein in Central Europe to live with their Uncle Gustav Weil.
Opposing the Brotherhood is the aristocracy, headed by Count Karnstein, a man of debauchery who is soon to sell his soul to the devil and drag one of the Gellhorn twins with him
It would be easy to assume that the twins of evil of the title are the two girls, here played with a nifty gimmick by real life playboy twins Mary and Madeline Collinson, but it's not the case.
The Austrian town of Karnstein isn't a very safe place for well-endowed, pretty young women: puritanical witch-hunter Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing) and his Brotherhood of religious fanatics like to burn them at the stake, while thrill-seeking nobleman Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas) prefers to use them as sacrifices in his Satanic games.Gustav's sexy twin teenage nieces, saintly Maria and wayward Frieda (Mary and Madeleine Collinson), might be free from persecution by The Brotherhood, but they are not safe from the count, who has recently been turned into a vampire, having accidentally revived his ancient undead ancestor Mircalla.The first two films in Hammer's Karnstein Trilogy, The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Lust For A Vampire (also 1970), featured plenty of nudity from its bevy of buxom starlets, making them great fun for those who enjoy the studio's more provocative efforts.
For the final movie in the series, Twins of Evil, Hammer clearly decided to go one better in the sexy stakes—by casting real-life twin Playboy Playmates Mary and Madeleine Collinson.Somewhat surprisingly, there is little genuine nudity from the gorgeous twins (plenty of tempting cleavage, but only one topless scene from Madeleine), but regardless of this fact, Twins of Evil is arguably the best of the Karnstein series.
This film boasts the typically good-looking Hammer production values, Peter Cushing, and the Collinson twins.
Settled into a chair, turned the lights down,slapped the video in and was treated to a very disappointing movie.At the time this movie was released Hammer was slowly dying as a major film organization.Reliance on nudity(hey, I like it!)was stressed more so than plots at that stage.This has nudity and a very thin plot.What we have is the good twin /bad twin mistaken identity plot with vampirism,suggested lesbianism and nudity tossed in.There are no real surprises in this film except for the casting of real life twins.(They can't act but they can shed their clothes).The plot is very predictable and boredom sets in quickly.You don't care about any of the characters which dooms a movie quickly.Peter Cushing's wife had died previously to the start of this film.
Interestingly, the narrative augments its essential (but, by this time, rather tired) vampiric theme with an overpowering atmosphere of witch-hunting (Hammer's sole foray into WITCHFINDER GENERAL [1968] territory which, similarly, features a score courtesy of Harry Robinson straight out of a Western and is photographed by Dick Bush, who had shot THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW [1971], another film in the same vein!); the community is led by an atypically misguided though commanding as ever Peter Cushing (reportedly, this was the first film he made following the death of his beloved wife) - his vigorous confrontations with above-average hero David Warbeck (who disapproves of Cushing's over-zealous methods) constitute some of the film's best scenes.The climax - featuring a surprising amount of gore (even if the version I saw, a port of the original R2 DVD by Carlton, is said to have been trimmed slightly by the BBFC!) - is quite good as well; besides, the film does contain a couple of good lines spoken by Cushing: when he sees Count Karnstein talking to one of his nieces, he tells him who she is and the former replies that he's pleased to make her acquaintance - but Cushing, in his inimitable dry fashion, quips "That wasn't an introduction but a warning!"; later, when he realizes that the girl has fallen under the Count's spell regardless, he exclaims in desperation "The Devil has given me Twins Of Evil!" (thus validating the promise set up by the film's very title).
The supporting cast includes an under-used Kathleen Byron as Cushing's wife (who strives to protect the girls from their uncle's blind sense of justice), a tired-looking Dennis Price as a debauched cohort of the blood-sucking Count (who eventually succumbs to one of the twins, similarly afflicted) and Damien Thomas (as Karnstein), who makes for a rather undistinguished figure of corrupting evil..
Great vampire movie made during the time Hammer studios decided to show off more 'skin' with their beauties - "Twins of Evil" stars Peter Cushing in a great role as a priest.
This film has a Gothic setting, puritans on witch-hunts, black arts, Satanism, vampires, and a good vs evil theme - all of which are the makings for a good horror film - and this film has a good story surrounding these things.Yes this is can be a stand alone film - really you do not need to watch the first two films to know what is going on in this third because it has very little to do with them.
Twins of Evil, made by the same producers for Hammer the following year, is actually the final film of "The Karnstein Trilogy", and is a considerable improvement.Twins shows in part the influence of Witchfinder General (1968), and features Peter Cushing on nightly forays into the countryside to root out and burn witches, while becoming the legal guardian of the titular twins, only one of which is actually evil.
And that lack of horror was ultimately what lead me to land my review on a very mediocre 5 out of 10 stars for "Twins of Evil".The late Peter Cushing is definitely carrying the movie quite well with his performance in the movie, and he is joined by a very good ensemble of actors and actresses, whom all brought their respective characters to life in their own unique ways on the screen.
John Hough directed this dark vampire tale that stars Mary & Madeleine Collinson as Maria & Frieda Gellhorn, two orphaned twins who go to live in the middle European village of Karnstein with their puritanical uncle Gustav Weil(played by Peter Cushing) who leads a fanatical but misguided group of vigilantes who pledges to stamp out vampires, no matter the cost.
The performance of most of the rest of the cast however is very good, particularly from Peter Cushing as their religious uncle, hell bent on purifying evil by burning innocent girls he believes to be witches."Twins Of Evil" creates a thick atmosphere that modern period pieces just can't achieve anything close to.
In the Nineteenth Century, the twin sisters Maria Gellhorn (Mary Collinson) and Frieda Gellhorn (Madeleine Collinson) become orphans and come from the progressive Venice to a small town the country of England in the lands of the Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas), who worships the devil, to live with their uncle Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing).
As casting goes, that one was a victory for Hammer.The third of Hammer's vampire trilogy (including The Vampire Lovers and Lust For A Vampire) adapted from Sheridan Le Fanu's nineteenth century lesbian vampire classic 'Carmilla', Twins Of Evil - which contains no Sapphic action whatsoever - features Cushing as Gustav Weil, leader of a band of self-appointed witch-hunters, and the Collinsons as his preyed-upon nieces.
(He'd lost his wife shortly before filming, perhaps accounting for the intensity of his acting).The Collinsons, dubbed throughout, do a nice line in flouncing about in plunging necklines, but that's as far as their input goes; the real drama here is played out between the real twin evils; Karnstein and vile Weil himself - parasitic bourgeoisie decadence and puritan bigotry locked in a deadly struggle.Decent as it is, two scenes may linger longer in the mind for their sheer hilarity, and both concern miming; Wyeth miming masturbation with a candlestick during her sex scene with Thomas; and the Count's mute Moorish manservant Joachim (Stewart) miming to his boss what the vengeful locals, gathered outside the castle, have in store for him.
Sweet innocent Maria (the delectable Mary Collinson) and her more brash naughty girl sibling Frieda (the equally delicious Madeleine Collinson) are two orphaned teenage twin sisters who are placed in the care of Uncle Gustav Weill (a perfectly stern and severe portrayal by the always outstanding Peter Cushing), a ruthless puritanical religious fanatic who heads a group that's determined to stamp out evil in its many forms.
Above average Hammer horror concerning two identical twins, Maria and Freda (played by Playboy pin ups Madeleine & Marie Collinson) who are sent to live with their uncle Gustav Weil (Cushing), a god fearing witch-hunter who fanatically hunts down young girls who are allegedly servants of the devil and burns them at the stake.
With having enjoyed watching a number of Hammer Horror titles for IMDb's Horror board October Challenge,I started to search round on Amazon Uk for Hammer titles that I could view for this years challenge,and I was surprised to find out that UK DVD company Network had brought some Hammer titles out,which led to me excitingly getting ready to see some evil twins in action.The plot:Since recently becoming orphans,twins Maria and Frieda Gellhorn leave their native Venice behind,and go to live with their aunt and uncle in a small European village called Karnstein.Arriving at Karnstein,the Gellhorn's discover that uncle Gustav Weil is the leader of a witch/vampire hunting gang,who burn any women that they believe are possessed by evil forces.Sickened by the stern manner in which Weil treats her,Frieda begins fantasising about the local count called Karnstein.After making a sacrifice to the devil, (as you do!) Karnstein is taken aback,when the sacrifice results in Countess Mircalla Karnstein coming back from the grave,and turning Karnstein into a vampire.Feeling more powerful than ever as a vampire,Karnstein sets his sights on the Gellhorn sisters.View on the film:Filmed at a time when Hammer studios were starting to go off the tracks,and a new,relaxed view towards nudity and gore had appeared in British censorship,Twins of Evil (TOE!)director John Hough displays a tremendous skill in keeping the title away from suffocating on flesh+blood.Hough gives the movie a wonderful warped fairy tale atmosphere,with Hough and cinematographer Dick Bush using scatter- shot whip-pans to give the vampire fangs and witchcraft spells a from out of nowhere shock,whilst Harry Robertson delivers a triumphant score for the Gellhorn's visit to Karnstein.For his adaptation of Sheridan Le Fanu novel,writer Tudor Gates paints all of the characters with an excellent, vicious brush,as Gates gets rid of even the basic idea of heroic characters,by showing Karnstein's blood lust as a companion piece to the self rigorous fury which Weil inflicts on the sisters with a disturbing glee.Bringing the Gellhorn's in as outsiders,Gates gradually transforms each of them as they uncover the villages hidden secrets,with Maria becoming terrified from all of the myths,whilst Frieda finds herself allured by the towns blood dripping darkness.Made shortly after the tragic death of his wife,Peter Cushing gives a superb performance as Weli,with Cushing showing Weli passion to "cleanse" the souls of the corrupted,to be something which blinds him from the evils that he unleashes.Offering twice the eye candy after being the 1st ever twins to appear in Playboy magazine,the beautiful Mary and Madeline Collinson (who were both dubbed) each give tantalising performances,with Mary showing a sweet natural nativity as Maria,whilst Madeline sinks her fangs into revealing how evil the twins of evil can be..
In many ways a far more powerful film than the others in this loose trilogy, The Vampire Lovers (1970) and 'Lust For a Vampire' (1970), 'Twins of Evil' remains a satisfying conclusion, a reasonably good vampire movie and a significant reminder of Peter Cushing's great talent as an actor..
Noted primarily for the appearance of Mary and Madeleine Collinson, 19-year old twins (and former Playboy Playmates, having appeared together in the October, 1970 Centerfold
) this movie is really so much more than just a vehicle for two lovely young women with dubious acting talent.Twin girls, Frieda and Maria, have recently lost their parents, and are sent to live with their uncle Gustav, (played to perfection by the always-great Peter Cushing
) the head of a sect of witch-hunters called 'The Brotherhood.' Gustav is embroiled in conflict with the local Baron, a descendant of the original Mircalla Karnstein, the Vampiress. |
tt0017750 | Chicago | At the start of the silent version of Chicago, Amos Hart (a much more sympathetic role than in either the source play or the later musical) wakes up and makes breakfast for Roxie, his wife, who makes light of his obvious affection. He goes to his job at a nearby cigar store, meeting Katie, the cleaning girl, who thanks him for a coupon that allowed her to buy an "Ingersoll" (an inexpensive pocket watch). At Amos' store, a customer jokes that he's about to give his girl "the air." The customer, who is Roxie's lover, arrives at her flat and makes it clear he's tired of her demands for money. She attempts to seduce him and take more money, but he throws her to the ground as he leaves, and she picks up a gun and shoots him, all while the player piano continues to play a jaunty tune. She calls Amos and asks him for help. Amos recognizes the man from the store, but tells the police that he killed the man in self defense. The district attorney tricks Roxie into a confession, and she's put in jail.The press coverage goes to Roxie's head, and she lords it over the other women in jail. Amos consults with Billy Flynn, the best lawyer in Chicago, but the extravagant up-front fee is more than he can raise. While giving a down payment, Amos notices Flynn's hidden safe. He breaks in and steals the contents of the safe, and although he isn't recognized, he loses his watch in a fight with Flynn's body guard. The next day Amos pays Flynn the balance with some of the stolen money, but when Flynn notices he doesn't have a watch, he suspects but can't prove the identity of the burglar. Flynn and Roxie concoct a false innocent persona for the court-room, but the all-male jury is swayed as much by Roxie's fine legs as by any legal argument, and Roxie is acquitted. Outside the court-house, another murder occurs, and all attention goes to the new celebrity murderess. Back at the apartment, Flynn's detectives come looking for the rest of the money, and ask Amos to show them his watch to prove his innocence in the burglary. Katie, the cleaning girl, produces her watch, pretending to have borrowed it from Amos, and after the detectives leave, she gives him the money, which she hid from the detectives. Roxie tries to get the money, but Amos, in anger, throws it on the fire and sends Roxie out into the rain -- still loving her, and having saved her life, he knows she's a cheat and never wants to see her again. He breaks all of her things in the apartment, but Katie, coming in to straighten things up, indicates a better romance for Amos in the future. | satire, murder | train | imdb | Phyllis Haver stars here as Roxie Hart in a story based on a hit Broadway play from 1927.
He's an expert on law and headlines, especially after he gets his $5,000.Haver, who looks a lot like Laura La Plante here) is terrific as the hard-boiled Roxie as she learns the ropes in prison and in the court room.
Victor Varconi plays the hapless Amos, but he has a whole subplot here that's not in the famous musical versions of this play.
There is no Velma Kelly in this story but Roxie's rival in prison, who is unnamed, is played by Julia Faye.The film was produced by Cecil B.
DeMille and although Frank Urson gets credit for direction, many think the film was directed by DeMille.This new DVD release by Flicker Alley is a gorgeous print with solid music by the Mont Alto Orchestra.
I suspect that Mr. Rob Marshall watched this 1927 silent before making his recent screen adaptation of the smash-hit Broadway musical.
The non-musical scenes in his version look an awful lot like this exceptional film.Phyllis Haver provides a marvelously witty and sexy characterization as Roxie Hart, that ultimate gold digger who shoots her lover for jilting her and then becomes a media sensation.
Haver puts all sorts of unique touches on the role, and her scenes during the murder trial are small gems of comic acting.
The handsome Victor Varconi, looking for all the world like Liam Neeson, has a much larger role as Amos, Roxie's long-suffering husband, than any subsequent version would give that character.
This original version focuses much more on the domestic relationship between these two -- the roles of Billy Flynn and Mama Morton, treated so colorfully in the musical, are much diminished here, and the character of Velma Kelly is absent altogether.The recent stage revival and movie have blunted the impact of this story's critique on the modern media and the public's responsibility in enabling our media to peddle trash.
It's surprising that a film that came out nearly 80 years ago makes the same point just as candidly; one can only imagine how forceful this message must have seemed at the time.Grade: A.
Last night the Sam Goldwyn theatre at the Academy in Los Angeles was filled to capacity for the screening of this 1927 silent movie.
Phyllis Haver had a range of expressions from A to Z - fantastic - and the courtroom scene, played for comedy, was truly a highlight.
Yes, the 1927 silent film 'Chicago' is the same story that became the big-budget Oscar-winning musical of 2002.
(There was a remake in between, 'Roxie Hart': starring Ginger Rogers.) Apart from the obvious difference that one 'Chicago' is silent and the other is a musical, both films tell exactly the same story.
The major difference is that murderess Velma is a minor character in the silent version.
Also, in the silent version, Roxie's husband is presented more sympathetically rather than as a fall guy.When I saw the 2002 'Chicago', set in the Jazz Age 1920s, I was annoyed by a couple of musical numbers in which the dancers were wearing blatantly modern disco-era outfits, which would never have been tolerated in 1927.
The silent-film 'Chicago' is conceived as a MODERN story, set in the jazz-baby present day, and so it makes little effort to evoke its own period.
Much of this movie takes place in cramped studio sets which are supposed to be dingy walk-up flats or courtrooms, but which fail to convince.If you've seen the recent 'Chicago', then you already know the plot of this 1927 movie, including all the surprises and plot twists.
During Roxie's trial for homicide, the prosecutor (Warner Richmond) has a larger and more sympathetic role than in the musical remake.
Phyllis Haver is excellent in the lead role, and sexier than Rene Zellweger.
(Though not nearly as sexy as Catherine Zeta-Jones.)This 'Chicago' was produced in 1927, the first year of the Academy Awards.
I wonder what the people connected with this movie would have thought if someone had told them that this story would win the Oscar for Best Picture...
Quite apart from all those razzle-dazzle dance numbers, the 2002 version actually told the STORY better..
CHICAGO (1927) is the story of Roxie Hart (Phyllis Haver), a bored young housewife who kills her lover during an argument.
She convinces her doting husband Amos (Victor Varconi) that she killed the man in self- defense.
Amos goes to great lengths to save her from the noose, hiring oily lawyer William Flynn (Robert Edeson).
Direction is credited to Frank Urson, but in actuality Cecil B DeMille directed the majority of the film.CHICAGO is an adaptation of a play by author Maurine Watkins, which was inspired by Watkins' own articles about the trial of real-life murderess Beulah Annan.
Amos is the moral center of the movie, a decent man who is so in love with his wife that he is willing to break the law to save her, yet struggles with her murderous deed and self-centered, callous attitude.The acting in CHICAGO is nothing less than excellent.
Phyllis Haver makes a great lead, portraying the many facets of Roxie Hart's character skillfully.
I had never heard of Victor Varconi before, but he played Amos with great skill, sensitivity and restraint, turning in a very believable performance.
This film came out the same year as landmark movies like SUNRISE, WINGS, and METROPOLIS, and even though it is not as celebrated as those visual marvels, in its way it's just as accomplished.SUMMARY: CHICAGO is a skillful blend of satire and drama that boasts a razor-sharp script, excellent performances, and highly accomplished direction.
excellent version of the famous story of Roxie Hart.
Phyllis Haver, now all but forgotten, shines as Roxie Hart, a good time girl who despises her husband and seeks sugar daddies for fun.
As soon as you see her pretending to sleep, having discarded her garter with bells attached, you know she's trouble.So Roxie kills, and goes to jail, and because she's blonde and pretty, she's taken up by the media in this wild world of flappers and jazz.
Those familiar with the musical film with Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones will be wondering 'where's Velma?' but that character isn't in the forefront at all.
This film is all about Roxie, and, more than the musical version, to some extent about her cuckolded husband Amos.
Victor Varconi puts in a lovely performance as Amos in this film.Haver might dominate the proceedings, and lights up what is already a fast-moving and effective bit of jazz fluff, but there's a good, if brief performance from Eugene Palette as well.
As Casely he is very watchable indeed.As this was a late silent, the acting styles are mainly naturalistic, and the fact that it does not have sound, only titles, doesn't matter a bit when it comes to following the story.
Miss Haver acts her heart out anyway and you can feel her contempt, her fear, her desperation, just as you would if you could hear it.A superior film, and one which occasionally makes it out for public showings.
Herr Amos Hart works in a tobacco store and Frau Roxie Hart does absolute nothing but to be unfaithful to her husband with an old man.
excuse this Herr Graf for such obvious remark ) kills her lover in her apartment.Desperate over what she has done, she calls for help to her husband telling him that the old man tried to get advantage of her.
But his love for Roxie is so important to him that he decides to help her by taking the services of a famous, greedy and unscrupulous advocate ( excuse again this Herr Graf for such an obvious remark ); this in order to defend his wife from the death penalty.
Meanwhile Frau Roxie Hart's famous trial is nearly begun."Chicago", a film directed by Herr Frank Urson in the silent year of 1927, was based in a Broadway play which in turn was based on a true story ( occurring in a real city!
). Reminiscences of the original stage play in its primal concept can be seen in the film, when the director uses a few sets ( the Hart's apartment, the jail or the trial court ) in order to develop the story as it were different acts of a play.
This is especially during the first part of the film during the dramatic development at the Hart's apartment and at the end of the movie during the trial.
However, Herr Urson makes fairly good use of the proper characteristics of the cinema film narrative in "Chicago" by, constructing excellent visual metaphors ( the jury's feet responding Frau Roxie charms, the tabloid paper going down the gutter ).
And let's not forget the social realism that can be seen in the film ( Chicago daily life or the Hart's apartment ).
Naturally this happened with the madcap Roxie, a situation depicted in "Chicago" in a raw and effective way.Another merit of "Chicago" is the combination of comedy and drama in equal terms highlighting Frau Roxie's stupidity, selfishness and easy living in contrast with her self-sacrificing husband who suffers the acts and nonsense of his wife.
He's a man who honestly cares about and loves his wife enough to steal and lie for her although this affection and emotion is not returned.Starring as the couple are two excellent and not well-known actors who handle their roles considerably well.
Herr Victor Varconi as Herr Amos Hart is the lovingly and humiliated husband.
Frau Phyllis Haver shines and takes all the credit in the picture thanks to her brilliant performance as Roxie Hart, a madcap, simple and selfish modern girl who has no scruples combined with no brains ...
who will meet her end on the end of a rope
a woman who lives her own life caring for no one except the money."Chicago" is an excellent silent movie for all those reasons mentioned above by this German count.
Don't forget also a modern one added recently featuring a superb musical score compiled by Herr Rodney Sauer and "The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra".
The Original Roxie Hart.
Chicago (1927)*** (out of 4) The first screen adaptation of the Broadway hit has Phyllis Haver playing Roxie Hart, a morally questionable young woman who murders her lover (Eugene Palette) in cold blood when he says he's leaving her.
Her husband (Victor Varconi) must try and raise money to hire a lawyer (Robert Edeson) but even he is quite crooked and things don't get any easier once the trial becomes a media sensation.
CHICAGO was turned into an Oscar-winning musical in 2002 and Ginger Rogers played the role in a 1944 film (ROXIE HART) but this silent version has been pretty difficult to see up until a few years ago when UCLA restored it.
Frank Urson does a nice job directing the film and I really enjoyed that free-spirited, Jazz-like feeling he brings to the movie.
May Robson plays one of the women and does a nice job but the cat-fight that breaks out between Roxie and another woman was very well done and quite a lot of fun.
Palette would become a very well-known character actor and it was a lot of fun seeing him in this early bit.
I read the Maureen Watkins play after seeing "Chicago" (2002) and "Roxie Hart" (1941).
While, I did enjoy many things, there were also some disappointments.The good things are the little comic bits that are added which the play and other two movies do not have.
These include Roxie putting black stockings on her door to pretend that someone inside has died to trick a repo-man and putting her husband's tie around her neck to show what the hangman's noose will look like.
The rehearsal of her "looks" before the jury is hilarious, so are the three gum chewing young women spellbound by the trial as if watching a movie.
DeMille was the producer, the sharp satire of the play and the two other movies is sharply curtailed.
The DVD does have some nice extras, including a well done documentary short looking at the real trial, Maureen Watkins original newspaper articles, a 1950 documentary on the 1920's and "The Flapper Story" a delightful 1985 documentary..
Phyllis Haver Gives a Knockout Performance as Roxie Hart.
Really terrific silent film about Roxie Hart (played by Phyllis Haver), blonde bombshell married to a handsome, devoted, sensitive husband who does stuff like serve her breakfast in bed - he loves "every curl on her head".
But soon Roxie is arrested and loving it as she laps up the publicity she receives as a public figure dubbed the "Jazz Slayer"; she's soon put on trial for murder under the tutelage of a high-priced defense lawyer who teaches her all the tricks to help steer the jury her way!An excellent film with intriguing plot line and funny too, there are quite a few laughs in this.
There is a very amusing scene in women's prison featuring an ensemble of lady prisoners apparently allowed to wear their "street" attire in jail, not limited to sequins, garters, and black lace teddies - Roxie gets into a big cat fight with one of these ladies, featuring lots of hair pulling and both of them rolling around on the floor all tangled up in an exercise belt.
The film features a truly great and memorable performance by Phyllis Haver, absolutely perfect in this part.
And I must say, the actor who plays her husband, Victor Varconi, is truly a very handsome man!
The screening I saw of this featured an absolutely gorgeous black and white print - I long to see this film released on DVD.
Excellent, irony-filled adaptation of Jazz Age story.
I, too, was fortunate to attend the public screening of this recently-restored film at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Los Angeles.
While I feel that some of the scoring choices on the part of the accompanying dance orchestra were inappropriate and distracting, and while I suspect that the projection speed was a bit slow (22 fps instead of 24), this is an excellent film adaptation (based on the original stage play) that can hold its own in comparison to the 2002 version (based on the Broadway musical).
I should note, too, that this preserved print is the "roadshow" version, which means it is a longer version that was probably shown at the New York or Los Angeles premieres before being cut down for wider release in 1927.Aside from the stellar performances of Phyllis Haver (sexy, vibrant, and even affecting) and Victor Varconi (stoic and sympathetic) as Roxie and Amos Hart, what struck me most about this film was its pervasive use of dramatic irony--a device that is eminently suited to this particular story.
Whereas the Bob Fosse musical seeks to emphasize the power of the media in manipulating public opinion, this 1927 CHICAGO strikes me more as a comment on the ironies of life, both cruel and merciful.
To name only one example (caution: spoilers ahead), the murder scene is exquisitely conceived: as a player piano hammers out a joyful rag, Roxie rashly fires a shot as her lover walks out the door.
The cracked mirror, and the black stockings on the door effectively add to the irony of the scene.This is a film that deserves a DVD release (at proper projection speed and with a top-notch score).
If Phyllis Haver has been unjustly forgotten (the curse of Roxie Hart's fate), this is the film that, if marketed properly, could turn her into a bona fide 1920s icon.
Phyllis Haver, as Roxie Hart, Has Role of a Lifetime!!.
In 1924 all America was gripped by the Chicago trial of Beulah Anann for a "crime of passion' - murdering her lover, Harry Kalstedt, then apparently playing "Hula Lou" on the phonograph for about 4 hours before she decided to tell anyone about it.
A couple of years later it was turned into a movie and gave Phyllis Haver, formally known as a supporting comedienne, the role of her life.
The film was based on the hit play "Chicago" of the year before, Beulah became Roxie Hart and it opened out the play considerably, with some additions based on the original murder and some concocted by Hollywood screenwriters.
Completely remastered and with a hummable musical score this may have been Pathe's most prestigious film - all about "a little girl who was all wrong in the big city"!!
Amos Hart (Victor Varconi) is just besotted with his flapper wife Roxie who yearns only for wealth, only maid of all work, Katie, appreciates Amos's kindness.
Disillusioned Amos sizes up the situation but still takes the blame for the murder - however the D.A. is convinced Roxie is guilty as hell!!
Roy Barnes) who builds her up as "Chicago's Most Beautiful Murderess" and convinces her that in a few days women will be naming their babies after her - the celebrity of Roxie Hart kicks in!!There is a hilarious fight in the woman's prison between Roxie and "Black Narcissus" with cries of "Peroxide" and "false hair!!" and they all get entangled in the prison gym equipment with May Robson acting as referee.
Roxie is found not guilty in a very funny performance in which she has the all male jury eating out of her hand and looks set to bask in her notoriety for a long time to come but when "Two Gun Rosie" slays her lover in court Roxie realises that celebrity is fickle and as disposable as yesterday's newspaper.
The movie finishes on a depressing note for Roxie who, even though cleared of murder, by Hollywood standards was not allowed to get off scot free for her crimes.
Even Amos is left pondering what might have been at the movie's ambiguous ending.Reviewers praised Haver to the skies for her performance - "astoundingly fine" and "makes this comedy most entertaining". |
tt0072281 | The Three Musketeers | D'Artagnan (Michael York) and his father (Joss Ackland) engage in an exhausting sparring duel. The father shows his son a signature move, which ends with the point of the sword at his son's chest, and advises to use it in a fight only as a last resort. He gives the boy 15 crowns and a letter to the commander of the King's musketeers, then presents him a sword he and his own father used in the King's service. The young Gascon leaves home on a huge yellow workhorse with his few belongings and a salve his mother advises him to rub into any wounds, and he strikes out for Paris to take his place as a musketeer.As D'Artagnan arrives in Paris he comes upon Rochefort (Christopher Lee), a tall man with a patch over one eye, who makes an offhanded remark to some companions about the newcomer's horse. Anxious to fight at any opportunity, as his father suggested, the young Gascon challenges Rochefort, only to have his sword struck in two. He is knocked out as his new enemy goes to meet an approaching carriage. Rochefort greets the passenger inside--Milady DeWinter (Faye Dunaway)-- and tells her she must go to England to report on the Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward). The pair are spies for Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston). D'Artagnan again tries to pick a fight but ends up falling in the mud.Finding the musketeers' headquarters, D'Artagnan awaits an appointment with their commander M. Treville (Georges Wilson). As he makes his way through the indoor training ground, he sees Porthos (Frank Finlay) having his portrait done while Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) watches; outside Treville's office, Athos (Oliver Reed) has a shoulder wound attended to. Treville reads D'Artagnan's letter and asks to see the familiar sword, which D'Artagnan sheepishly produces; the commander knows the weapon, realizes what has happened and lets him borrow a new one. Unfortunately there is no place in the musketeers for him, Treville says, until he has established his reputation on campaign or in killing, but a place in the guard might be suited to him in the meantime. Suddenly D'Artagnan spots Rochefort outside and leaps from the window. . .only to be hoisted back up as he lands on a scaffold. Excusing himself to Treville, he hastily runs from the office and collides with Athos and his wounded shoulder. The musketeer says D'Artagnan needs a lesson in manners, and they agree to duel at the Carmelite Convent at 12:00. Hurrying downstairs to catch up with Rochefort, the Gascon knocks Porthos down, causing a wardrobe malfunction which embarrasses him, so they agree to duel at the Luxembourg at 1:00. Once outside, D'Artagnan mistakenly compromises a lady trying to get Aramis' attention, so the musketeer and intended priest decides to have the young man meet him at 2:00 to settle the matter with swords.At the convent, it turns out that D'Artagnan's other two appointments are with Athos' dueling seconds. Before the duel can begin, however, six of the Cardinal's guards appear and prepare to charge at the musketeers for dueling, which is against the law. D'Artagnan joins the outnumbered threesome, noting that he may not have a tunic, but has the heart of a musketeer. Together they make short order of the guards, and Athos has an opportunity to see that the Gascon is a good swordsman. The remaining two guards surrender, but not before Porthos finds that his hat has been cleaved in two and lifts twenty pistoles from a downed guard to pay the damages (and twenty more to teach them manners). Later Athos explains that the musketeer motto is "one for all, all for one," so each of them gets ten pistoles from the booty, which Athos suggests D'Artagnan use to get lodgings and a servant. He chooses Planchet (Roy Kinnear) for a servant, and takes dingy lodgings at two francs a day with the elderly M. Bonacieux (Spike Milligan) and his wife Constance (Raquel Welch), a clumsy but beautiful younger woman and the dressmaker to Queen Anne of Austria (Geraldine Chaplin).Porthos bets and loses all of their money, so the group enter a tavern; Porthos makes it a point to annoy Aramis and they start to duel, but when D'Artagnan tries to quell the swordplay, Athos pulls him back. The men are creating a distraction while they rustle some much-needed food and drink. D'Artagnan and Planchet soon get into the spirit, passing the pilfered food to Athos, who hides it under his cloak. When they depart, Athos throws a purse to the barkeep, which he secretly filled with salt, they make their escape and fill their bellies with the hard-won food.At the palace, the Cardinal arrives, and locals are paid to wave flags and cheer his coming, as he is despised by many for manipulating the power of the King (Jean-Pierre Cassel) to his own advantage. The King discusses the musketeers' fight with Richelieu's "ruffians," and is worried because the Duke of Buckingham has arrived in France and covets his wife Anne, but Richelieu assures him that she is faithful; in secret he has a plot he is about to set in motion.At night Rochefort and his men break into M. Bonacieux's home while he is in bed with Constance, and prepare to take the couple to the Bastille, but Constance fumbles her way free and returns home and into D'Artagnan's arms. Later she leaves, saying she has to stop somewhere before she continues to the palace and the Queen, and makes him promise not to follow her, but he worries about her safety and trails after her from a distance to discover her meeting with another man. He challenges the interloper, then finds out it is the Duke of Buckingham himself. He helps escort the Duke and Constance to the palace laundry where Buckingham meets with Anne and begs her for a token he can hold until they can be together for good. She gives him a necklace containing twelve diamond studs. Suddenly guards appear and the Duke is outnumbered and in danger of being discovered, but D'Artagnan assists and Planchet brings the other musketeers as well, and they defeat the guards while the Duke makes his escape.At the Bastille, the Cardinal meets with Bonacieux and accuses him of treachery, then upbraids Rochefort for failing to hold onto Constance; Rochefort tells the Cardinal that Anne has given the diamond studs to Buckingham. The Cardinal releases Bonacieux, befriending him with a gift of 100 pistoles to get him to spy on his own wife. At an outing, the Cardinal mentions to the King that he wants to see the queen dance, and they plan a ball in her honor in two weeks' time. Richelieu suggests to the King that she should wear the diamond studs, and he approaches Anne with the request. The Cardinal later gives him a box with two diamond studs inside, and prompts him to count the studs when Anne wears the necklace and question her if they are all not there. He has sent Milady DeWinter to England and, in a tryst with Buckingham while he is wearing the token of Anne's affection, Milady has stolen the two studs the Cardinal has given the King. For the Queen to appear without them will cause her dishonor and may well cost Anne her life.Desperate to get the studs back, the Queen writes a letter to Buckingham and gives it to Constance, who is prepared to entrust it to her husband, but when he mentions that the Cardinal "took my hand and called me friend," she refuses to reveal more, so Bonacieux goes out to fetch Rochefort. D'Artagnan has been listening unseen, and volunteers to take the letter as he loves her and knows how to get to England. He locates the purse of 100 pistoles to use for the trip, but the pair are forced to quickly hide in a wardrobe when Bonacieux arrives with Rochefort and his men; after no trace of the pair is found, they leave. Constance faints and the wardrobe crashes to the ground. D'Artagnan breaks out of the wooden wardrobe, angered by the continued interference of the "inconvenient" Rochefort. Athos later tells the Gascon to avoid the man as he is a dangerous swordsman for the Cardinal. The trio of musketeers agree to help D'Artagnan get the letter to Buckingham and ride out with the agreement that if one falls, the others continue on their way.At a tavern Porthos gets into an argument with a man and, as they duel it out, the others ride on. The man slices into the musketeer's outfit, drawing blood, and Porthos drops to the ground. Later Athos and Aramis are set upon by thieves; Aramis is held at gunpoint, and D'Artagnan and Planchet watch from a distance, shocked, as Athos is cut at the throat in a duel. They continue to the docks to board a ship for England, but have no pass. Rochefort has a signed pass to board, but needs the governor to countersign, so he takes the road to town. On Rochefort's return, D'Artagnan accosts him, and when they recognize each other they fight a rough duel in the dark. Rochefort is wounded by D'Artagnan but not killed, and the Gascon suffers scraped ribs. Planchet nabs the pass, and when the harbor master questions why there are two people with one pass, D'Artagnan notes that he is one person, and Planchet is a servant.An exhausted D'Artagnan arrives in England, having taken six days. Buckingham is ready to hand over the studs but suddenly realizes that two studs are missing and figures out that Milady took them. His jeweler O'Reilly (Frank Finlay) is able to perfectly reproduce the two studs, and Buckingham hands the packet over to D'Artagnan, asking how he can repay him. D'Artagnan notes that they are enemies, but Buckingham offers a handshake and a sword which he accepts. With Planchet at his heels, they manage to get to Paris before the ball starts. At the familiar location of one of his companions' duels, D'Artagnan jumps upon a fresh horse, cutting a rope attached to the pommel, not knowing that two of his fellow musketeers are using the horse to pull Athos out of a well he has fallen into. The musketeers are wounded but recuperating. They realize from the accident with the horse that D'Artagnan has returned successfully and head out to join him at the ball.The Queen arrives on the arm of the King, but she is wearing a pearl necklace and he demands she wear the diamond studs; stalling for time, she says she will send to the palace for them and departs to wait with her dressmaker in hope of being saved. When Constance looks out a balcony window, she upsets a pot of flowers and D'Artagnan immediately knows from the accident where to go; he creates a distraction with musicians and prematurely set-off fireworks, but is delayed in getting the studs to Constance when the guards appear. The musketeers soon arrive and with the help of Planchet, who infiltrated the ball in a polar bear costume, they manage to subdue the guards. D'Artagnan throws the packet with the studs up to Constance, but they are thrown into the wrong window. Milady picks it up, but Constance bursts in and the two women fight until D'Artagnan swings in to assist. Constance is able to nab the valuable packet.The Queen reappears at the ball and reveals the studs at her neck. After the King tries unsuccessfully to count them while dancing with his wife, he stops the music and reveals the box containing the two studs which the Cardinal had given him; she delightedly says she now has fourteen studs. Backpedaling, the Cardinal says he wanted to give the additional studs to her but could not bring himself to do so directly. Milady informs the Cardinal that D'Artagnan thwarted the plot, but the Cardinal says the game continues.At an elaborate ceremony, Treville announces that D'Artagnan has become a musketeer; his comrades put the tunic over his shoulders while the commander provides his musket. The Queen greets him and, when she offers her hand, she discreetly gives him a ring as thanks for saving her honor. Milady flirtatiously passes by the new musketeer as D'Artagnan, joined by Constance and his friends, head to new adventures, and they become the Four Musketeers. | comedy, violence, historical fiction, action, humor, historical | train | imdb | D'Artagnan grows with his experiences and becomes a leader of men by the end of the novel; one who has confounded Cardinal Richelieu at every turn and preserved the honor of his Queen and country.Oliver Reed was perfectly cast as Athos, the melancholy drunkard.
THE THREE MUSKETEERS, Richard Lester's comic take of the oft-filmed Dumas adventure story, is not only terrific escapist fare with a brilliant cast, but stands as the most faithful adaptation of the Musketeer saga.
The novel's hero, young master swordsman D'Artagnan (portrayed by Michael York at his most boyish), is clearly the product of an impoverished Gascon household, unable to read or write, but filled with dreams of heroism in the elite Musketeers, and "fighting frequent duels".
With a borrowed sword, he then blunders into a series of challenges from the three title characters, emotionally scarred alcoholic Athos (Oliver Reed), comic buffoon Porthos (Frank Finlay), and dandified ladies' man/priest wannabe Aramis (Richard Chamberlain).
When the Cardinal's Guard attempts to arrest the four as Athos and D'Artagnan begin their duel, the Gascon displays such extraordinary skill with a sword that he is happily welcomed into the band of rogues, who help him procure a servant (the wonderfully comic Roy Kinnear) and lodgings at the home of an old reprobate (Spike Milligan) and his beautiful, if klutzy young wife (Raquel Welch, in her finest comic role), who the boy immediately lusts after.
The four friends then embark on a series of hilarious, swashbuckling escapades.Meanwhile, intrigue runs rampant in the Court; the Queen (Geraldine Chaplin) carries on a clandestine affair with the British Prime Minister, the Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward), under the oblivious eye of her husband, Louis XIII (Jean-Pierre Cassel), while evil Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston, who is marvelous, 'against type') plots to publicly embarrass her, and reveal her involvement, thus provoking a war with England, and the elimination of France's Protestant faction.
This constitutes only the FIRST half of the novel and movie, and the filmmakers decided to end the picture at this point, releasing a sequel, THE FOUR MUSKETEERS, a year later, which would cover the darker remainder of the story.
Fortunately for us this version does not suffer that kind of revisionism.If you're a fan of Dumas or just looking for a fun film with lots of realistic sword fighting then you won't want to miss this..
Richard Lester should have been nominated for an Academy award for his direction of this masterpiece, numerous members of the cast (including Christopher Lee as Compte Rochefort, Charlton Heston as Cardinal Richelieu, Raquel Welch as Constance Bonaciuex, Spike Milligan as Monsieur Bonacieux, Roy Kinnear as Planchet, Simon Ward as the Duke of Buckingham, Faye Dunaway as Milady de Winter, and of course Jean-Pierre Cassel as Louis XIII) should have been nominated for some kind of award.
This combines with "sequel" THE FOUR MUSKETEERS, with the same cast and director, to form the perfect film version of a wonderful novel.
After seeing Guardians of the Galaxy and the new Ninja Turtles movies at the cinema recently, I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a comprehensible fight sequence.This 1973 version of The Three Musketeers is the best version of the story I have ever seen, even better than the over-praised Gene Kelly adaptation.
It's athletic, earthy, and light-hearted, paired with one of the most perfect casts ever brought together for a movie and Michel Legrand's amazing score which proves adventurous and heart-achingly romantic in equal turns.If you love action and comedy, then I cannot recommend this enough.
One of the finest ever screen adaptations of the Dumas Literary source, Its much better than the dreadful versions released beforehand.Our story starts with the eternally youthful Michael york,as our determined young hero,Leaving the homestead to embark on a trip to Paris to become a kings Musketeer (like his father) Little does he know he gets a lot more Than he Bargined for,when he has an encounter with the titular three Musketeer's.Who are played by Oliver Reed,as the often drunk Athos,Richard Chamberlain, as the not so saintly Aramis,And Frank Finlay, as the pompous Porthos, York, finds himself lodgings in the foul establishment of Spike Milligain,in an amusing cameo, He becomes romantically involved with the Beautiful yet clumsy constance,(Raquel Welch) who is dress maker to the queen (And wife to Spike Milligain!
Unknown to york, he becomes involved in a devious plot to Descredit the queen of France, This film is one of my favorites timeless upon every viewing, This film and its companion Piece the 4 musketeer's are one and the same, Originally envisioned as one three hour Long epic, the producer's Decided to Release it As two separate films, wise move but it Resulted in the cast bringing the producers to court.Not only does it have an exceptional cast, It also has some fine Production values.
The supporting cast is full of great actors, including Charlton Heston (having fun at being evil here), Christopher Lee (gets to mix deadpan humor in with his menace), Raquel Welch (cast as beautiful but clumsy, really enabling her to be a character and not just a live mannequin), Spike Milligan (doing what he does best), and most wonderfully Faye Dunaway (seductively evil: my favorite kind!).
And, of course, holding it all together as D'Artagnan is Michael York, who never found a greater role.Besides handling the shifts in tone well, Richard Lester also had the great rare luxury of breaking Dumas' large novel into two seperate movies which he filmed simultaneously.
He could not have chosen a finer cast of actors for his movie - Reed is superb as the quiet, thoughtful leader, Finlay is outlandish as Porthos, Chamberlain brings a flair to Aramis, and York seems completely immersed in D'Artangan.
Yet great casting aside, the movie would be nothing if Lester had not incorporated the reality of life at court during the Musketeers' time period - the laziness and sheer excess (dogs as chess pieces on the palace lawn, wine fountains, and palace games).
(Reed's fighting style is particularly all-out - he uses his entire body as a weapon.) In short, this movie has completely replaced the Disney version for me - as has its "sequel," "The Four Musketeers" (a must-see if you want to get the whole story and watch Porthos find "a new way to disarm himself")..
Richard Lester brings 17th century France to life within this wonderful satire of Alexandre Dumas' great novel, The Three Musketeers.
The acting is superb and the characters are brought to life by Michael York, Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain, Faye Dunaway, Raquel Welch, Charlton Heston, and Christopher Lee.
This delightful adaptation based on Alexandro Dumas classic novel starts with the youngster D'Artagnan (Michael York) who arrives in Paris to find Mister Treville(Georges Wilson), chief of Musketeers.
Furthermore , there is developed an intrigue between Luis XIII(Jean Pierre Cassel), Queen Anna of Austria(Geraldine Chaplin), Duke of Buckingham(Simon Ward) and of course the nasty Richelieu( Charlton Heston).This is an entertaining swashbuckling, full of action, adventures,romance comedy with tongue-in-cheek and broad slapdash and of course , lot of fence.
Fortunately the right ones, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, and Richard Chamberlain all recognize York's worth and he becomes a companion of The Three Musketeers.
The King's own guard, fighting against the encroaching power of France's prime minister Cardinal Richelieu.Charlton Heston adds to his collection of real historical characters portrayed on film with his interpretation of Richelieu.
It's the history of the gascon D'Artagnan (Michael York), new musketeer that is earned, the trust of Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Richard Chamberlain) and Aramis (Frank Finlay) and of the Queen of France (Geraldine Chaplin) for which it recovers the necklace given to her lover English Duke of Buckingham (Simon Ward).
D'Artagnan and the musketeers makes to fail the plot for to compromise the Queen, giving let-down to Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston) and to perfidious Milady (Faye Dunaway).
Unconventional and amused adaptation of the novel of Dumas, signed from George MacDonald Fraser, that it stirs gag exited from the slapstick tradition (D'Artagnan passes under a tree: they jump twenty persons down and nobody succeeds to take it) to realistic notations able to destroy heroic mythology of the book of Dumas (not is a crash in which the duelists they respect the rules); the film was turned in Spain with to the successive "The Four musketeers-The Revenge of Milay" (exited but the following year).
The all-star cast is a very shining list of major stars of the 70's including Christopher Lee as grim Compte Rochefort, wonderful Raquel Welch as Constance Bonaciuex, Spike Milligan as her comic husband, Roy Kinnear as Planchet, Simon Ward as the Duke of Buckingham, Jean-Pierre Cassel as Louis XIII.
All the players gives the stunning performances especially Michael York as superb D'Artagnan, Oliver Reed as charismatic Athos and great Charlton Heston in a unusual for him role as the evil Cardinal Richelieu.
The split works quite well although same incongruities (Faye Dunaway's presence as the evil Richelieu's accomplice is the most lopsided, hardly showing up in the first movie and dominating the second); but finally the two chapters of the story have different tones, with a meet fun tone of the first giving way to more serious plot developments in the second when Milady tries to take one's revenge towards D'Artagnan and the musketeers.The Lester's Musketeers films are very and original fine entertainments..
Every subsequent version of the Dumas tale make this one seem better and better and best of all.With its companion piece, THE FOUR MUSKETEERS, it depicts its own period (the revisionist seventies with all its questioning of authority, its humour, its openness to sex, its sense of deconstructionalism and fun, its topsy-turvy-ness...) while managing to be one of the most faithfull to the general plot of the book.Noteworthy: Charleton Heston brings depth and humanity to Richelieu, elevating him above the role of stock villain.
Look no further if you want a perfect filmed adaptation of Dumas' classic novel of adventure, romance, and intrigue.
It appears that I have watched even an earlier version of the Three Musketeers story in the 1970s - i.e., "Les 3 Mousquetaires" (1953), but my overall impression as a kid was that this movie was comedy with lot of laughter in it mainly because of the role of Planchet (Bourvil); the latter was a great French comedian, sorrily forgotten today.
Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay are great as the Musketeers and Faye Dunaway makes a sexy and sinister Lady DeWinter.
Not only is there accuracy in the depiction of life in 17th century Paris, but the acting of Oliver Reed, Michael York, Richard Chamberlain, Frank Finley and Charlton Heston is superb and all, individually and in the ensemble, create the ambiance of the wonderful story of the Gascon trying to be a musketeer as well as the intrigue of the Palace.
The battle that takes place early in the second film is hysterically funny as our heroes try to eat lunch in the middle of a war.The actors and actresses are all wonderful, especially Michael York, Oliver Reed, Faye Dunaway, and Charlton Heston.
Both movies provide adequate individual story lines on their own -- with the first being perhaps funnier, and the second more compelling and somber -- but there's no doubt that as a single four-hour saga this expert adaptation of Alexander Dumas' classic tale can't be beat.For an 'all-star' cast, the actors seem pretty comfortable in their roles and there's not much showboating.
(But there are definitely scene-stealers in the persons of Spike Milligan as Raquel Welch's better-part-of-valor husband, Monsieur Bonancieux, and director Richard Lester's favorite, Roy Kinnear, as Planchet, D'Artagnan's loyal manservant.) The Musketeers themselves are brought to vivid life by some real pros: a glowering Oliver Reed as Athos, dashing Richard Chamberlain as Aramis, and comic stalwart Frank Finlay as the blowhard Porthos.
After all, Dumas' story, here masterfully laid out in George MacDonald Fraser's humor-laced script, contains just about every kind of action, romance and intrigue known to fiction.And the great thing is, Lester excels at all of them.
With Michael York, Richard Chamberlain, Rachael Welch, Faye Dunnaway, Charleton Heston, and others, the acting is good, the action is funny, and the setting looks historic.
The soul and the greatest thrum of gravity are supplied by Oliver Reed as the Musketeer "Athos." Reed, a notoriously hard-living, wild-tempered actor, roils seas of pathos and also brotherly bonhomie within his character in this film, and his projected regrets over the impossibility of perfect love and also the encroachment of a soulless government in the person of the Cardinal and his crimson gendarmes add emotional heft.
The characters are benefited by some dream casting: Oliver Reed in perhaps his last great role as the brooding Athos, York as the naive yet dashing D'Artagnan, Chamberlain as ladies man Aramis, Finlay as the comical Porthos - and that's just the Musketeers.
Lester, after all, is following the original Dumas story quite closely; he just adds his own little highlights here and there to spice things up.This was followed almost immediately by "The Four Musketeers" - which was actually filmed at the same time.
Richard Lester's pair of films taking Dumas' novel as a starting point were regarded as a bit of a mess when they first appeared, although they have acquired affection with repeated television showings.This first film deals with the appearance and acceptance of the young D'Artangan (Michael York) into the ranks alongside the other musketeers (Richard Chamberlain, Frank Finlay, and Oliver Reed).
It also introduces Milady (Faye Dunaway) and Constance (Raquel Welch), and Buckingham (Simon Ward) and embroils all concerned in a jewel stealing plot.The strength of this film is in its humour; the fight scenes are a riot and the musketeers are at best, bumbling in their attempts to secure events go as planned.
Considering just how many big names are in it it still remains one of the less seen movies and whenever the Musketeers are discussed these are usually the last movies to be brought up as the more recent "Man in the Iron Mask" and "The Three Musketeers" of Kiefer Sutherland/Charlie Sheen fame - both barely hold a candle to the originals in terms of costumes, backdrops and setpiece duels.At times the film wanders, but mostly it does the job of showing just how chaotic, grotty and ultimately hideous France (and therefore the rest of the world) really was - neatly contrasting the opulence of Royalty to the grim struggle of the peasants.All the actors produce decent turns, if at times a little bit too much like "Acting by numbers".
With a large ensemble cast there is not space in this review to mention all the good performances, but I would single out Heston as the Cardinal, Welch as the lovely Constance Bonacieux, the Queen's dressmaker and D'Artagnan's lover, Kinnear as the Musketeers' comical servant Planchet and Dunaway as Milady de Winter, the Cardinal's villainous agent.
It may have been for this reason that Constance's husband (the character played by Milligan) was written out of the sequel.It is a long time since I last saw any of the other versions of Duma's story, so will not attempt a direct comparison.
the other one, I will not reveal it here, is great) for Constance(Welch, looking hot if somewhat dim), befriends the three musketeers Athos(Reed, giving the serious and solemn air to him that is called for), Porthos(Finlay being bombastic) and Aramis(Chamberlain, sophisticated) and with them, becomes the best hope for saving his queen(the delicious Chaplin...
Michael York is a fine D'Artagnan, displaying a lithe physicality while the Muskateers themselves, (Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlin and Frank Finlay), are a courtly breed given to a bit more paunch than might have been expected.The villains are a terrific Faye Dunaway as Lady De Winter and Charlton Heston as a suave Richelieu while Raquel Welch shows her prowess as a comedienne as an accident-prone Constance.
What I found inconceivable while watching this film, is that the producers where able to obtain such a cast for such a lousy script: Oliver Reed who starred in the classic Oliver!; Michael York who starred in the famous Cabaret a year earlier; a Golden Globe nominee that starred in the classic Doctor Zhivago (Geraldine Chaplin); an Oscar nominee (Faye Dunaway); an Oscar winner (Charlton Heston); screen legend Christopher Lee and TV star Richard Chamberlain.
Watched Three Musketeers an amazing Performance by Michael York(Romeo And Juliet) as d'Artagnan, Oliver Reed(Revolver) as Athos , Frank Finlay(Othello) as Porthos,Richard Chamberlain(Dr.Kildare) as Aramis, Simon Ward(Young Winston) as The Duke Of Buckingham , Raquel Welch(One Million Years B.C.
But if Richard Lester's movie version of "The Three Musketeers" is any indication, then it must be a fun read.
But either way, there's not a dull moment in this version of the tale.Playing the title characters are Oliver Reed as Athos, Frank Finlay as Porthos and Richard Chamberlain as Aramis, with Michael York as D'Artagnan trying to become a musketeer.
The choreography of the fights is very well done and the acting is (most of the time) quite good, but in my opinion the movie lacks a bit of story.As you probably already know it is about a young man who wants to become a musketeer.
The film has an all-star cast consisting of: Richard Chamberlain (Aramis), Charlton Heston (Cardinal Richelieu), Faye Dunaway (Lady de Winter), Raquel Welch (Constance), Christopher Lee (Rochefort), Michael Yok (D'Artagnan), and the unfortunately underrated but really quite amazing actor par excellence, Oliver Reed (Athos).
A little sloppy.But, as I said, it's great fun...and still my favorite movie adaption of Dumas' story.Michael York heads the cast as d'Artagnan.
Best Adaptation Of The Book Yet. Originally conceived as a vehicle for the Beatles by Richard Lester, it is hard to imagine this movie working in the way that it does had the 'Fab Four' been given the roles of Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan. |
tt1189073 | La piel que habito | The camera pans along the town of Toledo in Spain, and across the gated entrance to the clinic/estate known as El Cigarral. In one room, a young dark haired woman, Vera Cruz (Elena Anaya), does yoga stretched over a sofa. Vera wears only a flesh colored bodystocking that covers her whole body completely, except for her head. It covers her hands and fingers, and her feet and toes. She's then seen meditating while she sits in a lotus position on the floor. She works with ceramic sculptures, applying strips of a material that seems to match that of her bodystocking, to one of them.El Cigarral's chief maid, Marilia (Marisa Paredes), asks an assistant maid to help her with a dumbwaiter. Marilia carries a tray with food and drink, a book, and some cloth. With the assistant's help, Marilia opens the dumbwaiter and puts everything she's carrying inside it, before sending it up to Vera's room. Retrieving the items, Vera uses an intercom in her room to request some sackcloth and double-sided tape. Marilia tells her that she won't be able to get these for Vera until tomorrow. Vera then requests some thread, and a needle and pair of scissors, but Marilia's response shows she's not supposed to provide these for Vera at all. Vera then goes to her closet, where a number of garments hang; all are badly torn. She takes out a green print dress and puts it on over her bodystocking, and tears a strip off of it.The scene switches to a lecture hall where a surgeon named Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) is giving a lecture on rebuilding facial muscles and features in burn victims. He's personally participated in several face-transplant surgeries, and rebuilding scarred and burned faces seems to be his primary passion.That evening, Ledgard drives into the garage for a maternity hospital. A man walks up to his car and hands him a large case, for which Ledgard pays him. Ledgard is then seen driving up to El Cigarral; he is the owner of the estate, and lives there as well as running its clinic. Taking the bag he was given at the hospital, which we see contains a pouch of blood, Ledgard brings it to his lab and examines a sample, before putting the rest of the pouch in a container of dry ice.Ledgard goes into his room and turns on a large-screen television, which is hooked up to a camera in Vera's room. Vera lays in her bed, seemingly asleep, though she's not covered with her blanket. He takes a tin containing opium and a bong and goes to her room, which is adjacent to his. Ledgard unlocks the door for her room, showing she's confined inside it. There he sees that Vera has cut her wrists and breasts in a suicide attempt. Quickly he brings her to an operating room in the estate and patches her up. As he tends to the cuts above Vera's breasts, the ungrateful woman tells him that she'll only try again unless he finishes her off himself. Ledgard doesn't take her seriously, saying she'd have cut her throat if she was serious about killing herself. He does seem preoccupied with Vera's skin; with the bodystocking removed, he notes that her skin is softer than he thought it would be.The next morning, Marilia brings Ledgard some animal blood, drained from it while it was still alive. Ledgard brings it to his lab. We see that Ledgard is conducting research in the development of a synthetic compound that looks, and even feels remarkably like human skin. On a gurney in the lab is a mannequin of a female body. Ledgard brings a sample of the skin compound over to the gurney and carefully applies some of the compound onto the mannequin. Using this as a guide, we then see he's applied some of the compound onto Vera's body. The synthetic skin apparently is tougher than real skin and can resist burns. He carefully runs a device that emits a short discharge of low-temperature flame over her leg, and she feels no pain until he passes it over another part of her leg. He also holds a jar with the opening against her skin; the jar contains a mosquito. The mosquito does not land on Vera at any time; it doesn't try to bite her.Ledgard is giving a presentation at a biomedicinal symposium, discussing this synthetic skin compound, which he has named GAL, after his late wife, who burned to death in a car crash. This synthetic skin not only resists burns, but masks human odors from biting insects such as mosquitoes, so that they won't bite; this can prevent the diseases they carry, including malaria. Ledgard tells the symposium members that he's conducted experiments with this compound on athymic (hairless) mice, and the results have surpassed his expectations, leading him to believe that it's ready for human testing.During a break, the symposium chairman asks Ledgard about his research. He's suspicious, because Ledgard has stated that the synthetic skin compound is stronger and tougher than real human skin, and this can only be accomplished by mutating it. Ledgard admits that he's done transgenesis on the compound; transferring genetic information from pig skin cells into human cells. He justifies this by pointing out similar experiments that are done on meat, fruits, vegetables, and clothing material every day; despite the moral implications, he believes that paradoxically, it's the next step in improving human life, as it could cure many diseases and stop many known genetic deformities. Nonetheless, this is a line that the chairman refuses to cross... or let Ledgard cross. He warns Ledgard that unless he discontinues this research, he'll report him to the medical community. Ledgard tells the chairman not to worry; GAL was a personal venture he did in memory of his late wife, nothing more.Arriving home, Ledgard goes to his room and looks in on Vera, who lays on her bed, reading. As he watches her, zooming in the camera, her eyes suddenly drift toward it, as if she knew he was watching her at just that moment.Ledgard brings the opium tin to Vera. As he fills the bong, she asks if there's any further improvements he wishes to make. Ledgard says there's no further work required. He's done all he can, with and for, Vera, and she can now boast of having the best skin in the world. But when Vera asks what will become of her now, he gets evasive and defensive. When he gets up to leave, Vera hurries to the door and blocks him, and starts coming on to him. She knows that Ledgard likes her, and although the camera in her room is hidden, she knows about it, and knows where it is. Because of the time he spends watching her, she's starting to feel that they practically live together. Ledgard gets very flustered, hurrying out of the room. When he gets back to his room, he sees, on his monitor, Vera giving an amorous look straight into the camera-- at him.The next day, as Ledgard eats breakfast, a television news program talks about a carnival underway. Marilia tells him that he made a mistake using Gal's face as a model, and she'd have warned him about it if she knew beforehand. Now, Vera looks too much like her, which puts Ledgard in a quandary; Marilia believes that Ledgard has to either kill Vera or keep her captive on the estate indefinitely... and if he doesn't kill her, she'll attempt suicide again. Moreover, Marilia is as certain as Vera is, that Ledgard is falling for Vera. Ledgard tells Marilia to dismiss all the assistants and servants from employ.As three of these servants are seen leaving the estate, a man in carnival getup approaches and rings the intercom at the front gate. He tells Marilia he's here to see his mother, who he hasn't seen in ten years. He knows that she wasn't among the servants that just left. Marilia orders the man to leave, but in response he he turns around and moons the camera... showing a birth mark on his posterior that Marilia recognizes. The man is her own son, Zeca (Roberto Alamo). She lets him onto the estate, although she says he can only stay a few minutes.But it quickly becomes clear that Zeca is looking for more than just a few minutes to catch up with his mother. Zeca is also acquainted with Ledgard, having seen a presentation he gave in Madrid, and tracked him back to El Cigarral. Worse, he's taken part in a jewelry store robbery where he killed one of the employees, and is seeking shelter from the police on the estate. He also wants Ledgard to perform plastic surgery on his face, now that it's plastered all over every wanted poster in Spain. Marilia tells Zeca that Ledgard would kill him as soon as look at him. She wants Zeca sent on his way, but he continues acting as if he has the full run of the estate.As Zeca grabs a bottle of wine, he sees one of the kitchen monitors for Vera's room, and sees Vera doing yoga. As he watches, Vera looks up, and peers into the camera, sensing she's being watched. Zeca mistakes Vera for Gal, who he's shown to have known before her death. Marilia pulls a gun on Zeca and orders him to leave the estate. But she can't pull the trigger, and Zeca grabs the gun away.Zeca ties Marilia to a chair and jams a rag into her mouth. As he searches the mansion for Vera's room, she can hear the noise he makes, and it makes her increasingly nervous. Zeca finds the door to Vera's room locked, and comes back downstairs, making Marilia tell him where the key is. He takes the key and goes back to Vera's room. As he opens the door, Vera kicks it back in his face and tries to run, but he grabs her ankle and drags her back to him. As he wrestles her down, she wants to know who he is, and it's shown at this point that Zeca is responsible for Gal's death; he caused the fiery car crash that killed her. Still thinking that Vera is Gal, he wants to rape her. He starts tearing open her bodystocking and roughly feeling her up. When Zeca says he wants to make Ledgard do the plastic surgery on his face, Vera sees this as an opportunity of escape. She offers to volunteer as a kidnap victim that Zeca can use as leverage against Ledgard, and she'll submit to sex with Zeca if he lets her go afterward. As Zeca takes Vera, on her bed, he doesn't understand why she's acting like she's in pain-- Gal never did, and Zeca still doesn't know that Vera isn't Gal.Ledgard arrives home, much earlier than Marilia, and therefore Zeca, expected. Ledgard sees Marilia tied up and then looks at Zeca having sex with Vera, through the monitor. Ledgard takes Marilia's gun and goes upstairs. Vera sees Ledgard over Zeca's shoulder and stares vacantly; both Vera and Marilia hoping that Ledgard will kill Vera as well as Zeca. But at the last second, Ledgard re-aims the gun, and kills Zeca without harming Vera.Ledgard brings the opium tin to Vera so she can calm down. As she smokes the bong, Marilia cleans up. She confides something in Vera, something that neither Ledgard nor Zeca ever knew: they're half-brothers. Marilia is Ledgard's mother as well as Zeca's. Ledgard's father was the owner of the estate beforehand, and he fathered Robert during an affair with Marilia, because Mrs. Ledgard was sterile; but after Robert was born, the Ledgards passed him off as the son of both Mr. and Mrs. Ledgard, although Marilia was the one who raised him. One of the household servants latered fathered Zeca through Marilia. Marilia blames herself for both Ledgard and Zeca being insane, saying she carries a gene for it, and both her children became afflicted.Zeca grew up on the streets, ran drugs as a child, and Marilia didn't see him until twelve years ago, when he showed up looking for shelter. Marilia hid him in a shed, but Gal found him and developed a crush on him. Gal agreed to run away with Zeca, but their car crashed and began burning.Here, it's revealed that Gal didn't die in the crash itself, even though Zeca ran from the burning wreck and left Gal there to die. Ledgard found his wife, horribly burned and scarred. He saved her life and cared for her day and night on the estate. It was during this time that he began doing the research that led to the synthetic skin compound. Ledgard removed all mirrors from the house and made sure Gal slept during the day and was only awake at night. Miraculously, Gal began to improve and recover, and one day she could walk without help. But this led to tragedy, as one morning Gal was awakened by the sound of her and Ledgard's daughter, Norma, singing a song that Gal taught her. Gal got up and crossed to the window... and saw her reflection in it after pushing aside the curtains and opening the blinds. Unable to bear the sight of her reflection, Gal hurled herself through the window to her death, right in front of Norma. So traumatized by the experience was the young girl, that she eventually committed suicide as well, in the same manner.Ledgard arrives home, and Vera gives him a look of deep compassion. They're making love in Ledgard's bed when Vera finds her vagina is too sore to finish. Ledgard agrees to wait until tomorrow night, and they fall asleep in each other's arms.As they sleep, the scene shifts to show Ledgard's dreams: a wedding that took place six years prior. Ledgard helped hook up a friend of his, Casilda Efraiz (Teresa Manresa) with her husband, and he's now attending her wedding. Also attending is Norma, grown to young adulthood (Blanca Suárez). Norma is out of a psychiatric hospital and doing well on therapy and medication, socializing with Casilda's nieces. As she and her new friends sip beverages, they smile at some handsome young men nearby.As everyone dances to a band and singer, Ledgard happens to notice a few of Casilda's nieces chatting with young men. Norma isn't among them. He goes looking for her, and among the trees outside, he hears the moaning of several young women having sex with other young male guests. Carefully looking from the cover of trees, he still doesn't see Norma. As he continues looking, he sees one young man riding out of the estate on a motorcycle. Retracing the path that the motorcycle came from, he finds Norma's shoes and sweater discarded on the ground. Not far from there, he finds Norma laying on the ground under a tree, unconscious. He hurries to her side, but as she awakens, she only screams hysterically at the sight of her father.We see Ledgard back in the present, shifting in bed and awakening from the bad memory of his dreams. He glances over one shoulder to see Vera sound asleep beside him. As he turns over and puts an arm around Vera, we see a close-up of her face and then her own dreams.A young man, Vicente (Jan Cornet), who Norma had smiled at during the wedding, is working in a dress shop owned by his mother. He picks up one dress and offers it to his mother's assistant, Cristina (Bárbara Lennie) as a gift. Vicente has a crush on Cristina, but she doesn't return his affections because she's a lesbian and dating another woman. She tells Vicente, if he likes the dress so much, he should wear it himself.Vicente's mother tells him to leave Cristina alone, and he says he needs to get going, anyway; his friend Jorge is bringing him to Casilda's wedding. Although Vicente wasn't invited himself, Jorge knows one of Casilda's nieces and told Vicente he could get him in. Vicente needs to get changed and they'll just be attending the after-wedding dance party. As a man comes into the shop to sell off his wife's clothes (she runs off every so often, leaving he and their son), Vicente gets on his motorcycle and rides off.Ledgard and Vera are shown again, still asleep, as Vera's dreams continue.At the wedding, Vicente attracts the notice of Norma. She smiles at him, and he smiles back. Several of Casilda's nieces walk out into the gardens with Jorge and some of his friends. Vicente and Norma also accompany them, but quickly lag behind. The young men and women are drinking, smoking pot, and it's easy to see what's on all their minds.Vicente and Norma both seem a little shy with one another, but hold hands as they walk off into the trees on their own. Vicente asks Norma if she's taken any 'high' pills, like he, his friends, and a number of Casilda's nieces have all been doing. Norma, misunderstanding, recites a list of psychotropic medications she's on.As they continue walking through the gardens, Norma trips on one of her high heels, and getting exasperated with them, she kicks them off, and then pulls off her sweater. She chuckles unsteadily; Vicente thinking she's high like all the others, as he doesn't know about the psychosis she's suffered and is still recovering from. When Norma innocently mentions that clothes make her claustrophobic and she would be naked if it were her choice, Vicente, again misunderstanding, offers to help her undress. He starts kissing and fondling her as he starts sliding down the shoulder straps for her dress; laying her down gently against a tree.But as he pulls his pants down and enters her, Norma starts to panic. Starting to become aware of what Vicente is doing, she rebels and starts pushing him away. Vicente covers her mouth with his hand so the main wedding reception doesn't overhear her cries. Norma catches part of his hand in her teeth and bites down on it hard. Suddenly furious, Vicente smacks her face, knocking her unconscious. Vicente gets scared and carefully straightens Norma's clothing out, putting her slip and the straps of her dress back up over her shoulders, covering her breasts, and sliding her panties back up and pulling the hem of her dress down again. He then hurries out of the estate, not noticing that Ledgard has observed him leaving and has noted the license plate number for his motorcycle.A week later, Vicente has stopped taking the uppers and is sober again. Although his mother and Cristina know he finds the town boring, Cristina is surprised when Vicente suddenly announces he wants to travel for a while. For now, though, he just wants to get some air and ride around a bit, and he'll be home for supper that evening. He never makes it: a van starts following him, and off the bend of a lonely stretch of road, the van forces Vicente off the road, and the masked driver shoots him with a tranquilizer dart. He loads Vicente and his motorcycle into the van and drives off.Vicente awakens, chained to a wall in a stone shed. His kidnapper has left him a large pail of drinking water, and he drinks thirstily.Vicente's mother sees a police captain, who tells her that Vicente's motorcycle was found at the bottom of the Finistere Cliffs, completely destroyed; his body presumed swept out to sea. His officers questioned all of his friends and Cristina as well, and all of them mentioned that Vicente was tired of the town and wanted to leave. If he WAS alive, he would be very far away. Vicente's mother refuses to accept this, insisting that Vicente would have notified her if he wasn't coming home for supper like he said he would, and that he must have been kidnapped.Ledgard goes to see Norma, who has again been hospitalized at a neuropsychiatric institute. The assault has sent her into complete retrogress back into her psychosis. She's terrified at the sight of any male, including Ledgard himself. Any male who is near her makes her see Vicente again, and she becomes hysterical. Even though Ledgard is careful not to touch her, Norma only whimpers and cries as she crawls into a closet. The nurses cannot put any fitted clothing other than a standard hospital gown onto her, because she tears them off.Vicente remains locked in the shed, awakening one morning to find the water pail has been refilled while he slept. But he's half-starved and going crazy from the solitary confinement.Vicente's kidnapper finally comes into the shed: it's Ledgard. He washes Vicente down with a garden hose and throws him a towel. He unhooks the chains from the ring they're fastened to, onto another ring that's closer to the table so that Vicente can sit. The next day, Ledgard brings him food and a warm robe. He still hasn't told Vicente why he's holding him prisoner.Norma has committed suicide, jumping out the hospital window. At her funeral, Ledgard blames the hospital and the chief psychiatrist. Despite his sorrow, he wants to work. He can't sleep and needs to occupy his mind.Ledgard shaves Vicente's face as the young man tries to appeal to him as the father of a young girl. Some of Norma's childhood toys are in the shed, so Vicente speaks about how his own mother must be sick with worry. Ledgard says only that he buried his daughter earlier that day, before saying he's putting some aftershave on Vicente's face. This is a lie; the aftershave is really chloroform which Ledgard uses to knock Vicente out.Ledgard brings Vicente into the operating room on El Cigarral, strips him naked and fastens him securely to the operating table. A number of members of Ledgard's medical team arrive. They all done masks, gloves and scrubs, preparing to help him operate. When Vicente awakens, the team has departed, and Ledgard tells Vicente the cruel truth about the operation: a vaginoplasty. Ledgard removed Vicente's penis and has given him a woman's vagina.Ledgard confines Vicente in a private room in the clinic and brings something to him. He tells Vicente that the labia of his new genitalia are still tender and could start to stick together. Ledgard has brought him a number of dildos of varying width. Starting with the narrowest, he needs to place them into the vagina until the largest dildo can fit without pain or discomfort, at which point the tissues will be healed.Ledgard is examining Vicente after he's been using the largest dildo for four weeks, and he tells Vicente that the vagina looks healed. Vicente thinks maybe now Ledgard will let him go home... but Ledgard says he hasn't finished work; he's only just begun.Ledgard won't say what more remains to be done, but he finally explains the reason behind it; why he's done all this, including kidnapping Vicente in the first place. Revenge. Ledgard knows that Vicente raped Norma, resulting in her psychotic regression and recent suicide... and he's exacting a terrible revenge.As time passes, Vicente's physical transformation is complete. He has real breasts, and his skin has been enhanced with Ledgard's synthetic "GAL" skin compound, a little at a time. His face is covered with a plastic cast-mask, and his hair hasn't grown back in. Ledgard brings him a bodystocking to protect his new skin and help his body fully adjust to its new feminine shape.He finishes putting the bodystocking on, asking Ledgard to help zip up the back. But as he does so, Vicente viciously elbows him in the groin, knocks him down and takes his keys, trying to escape. But Ledgard quickly uses a wireless remote to activate the estate's master security switch, locking all the doors and windows.Vicente finds a knife and threatens Ledgard with it, but Ledgard has recovered his pistol. As he advances, Vicente slits his own throat in a suicide attempt. However, Ledgard quickly patches him up and he survives.Several more weeks pass. Ledgard removes the mask, revealing Gal/Vera's face underneath it. Ledgard finishes wiping the last traces of Vicente away from his prisoner, renaming him Vera. It's seen now that Vera was more than just a test subject for the synthetic skin compound Ledgard had developed-- and medical science and healing was never his intent as far as using it on Vicente, went. As punishment for the rape and eventual death of Norma, Vicente has now ceased to exist and is to be renamed Vera.Ledgard has placed a number of dresses in Vicente room so he can clothe him, but Vicente rebels, angrily tearing them all to shreds and using the vacuum tube in his room to clean them all out. Ledgard sends some make-up kits and books on applying make-up to his room via the dumbwaiter. Vicente only takes a few mascara brushes and writing markers, sending the rest back up, saying through the intercom that he doesn't want them.Ledgard provides Vicente with a large TV set, and while channel-surfing, he finds a program about yoga. Listening to the instructor's lecture on how practice of yoga can provide an inner place of refuge, peace, and freedom, Vicente requests some books on yoga and begins practicing it. Later, he watches a program on ceramics and gets started on that as well.Ledgard has brought Marilia back to El Cigarral to help him look after the estate and Vera. Ledgard tells Marilia little about Vera, other than "she" has been a patient at the estate's clinic. From the small talk, we see that Marilia has been away from the estate for just over four years.In his room, Vicente writes the dates 9/10/2006 and 9/11/2006 along the top of one wall, near the left corner.Ledgard and Marilia observe Vicente writing feverishly on the wall. Marilia says that Vicente learned of Marilia's presence, contacted her through the intercom, and asked Marilia her name... and what the date was. When Marilia told him the date, Vicente started covering the walls of his room with writings. The top of one wall is a collection of consecutive calendar dates. At one point we see a span lasting from July 2008 to April of 2010.Ledgard doesn't tell Marilia much about Vera, but Marilia is no fool. She recognizes Vera's face as Gal's.The walls of Vicente/Vera's room become covered with various writings, like a diary or journal. He writes a number of yoga mantras over and over, along with more calendar dates, including a stretch from March to December of 2011. We also see the sentence, 'opium helps me forget.' When she's reached the bottom of one wall, we see her writing the date February 10, 2012.We return to the present; the morning after Ledgard and Vera slept together. Vera has earned the privilege of coming downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for herself and Ledgard, although Marilia is wary of this, not trusting Vera. As Ledgard and Vera eat, they talk about a promise they made to each other the previous night. Vera was no longer a prisoner on the estate, but a tenant. In return for her freedom, she's promised never to leave Ledgard. He's started to win over her affections.Ledgard has arranged for Marilia to take Vera shopping in town. Marilia doesn't like it, and packs her gun in her purse. Vera comes downstairs, nicely dressed, including black stockings and high heel shoes. Ledgard tells her she can buy whatever she likes; Marilia has his credit cards.Ledgard's colleague and co-worker, Fulgencio (Eduard Fernández), comes by, wanting to talk about the clinic, even though, as Ledgard has said, he has stopped using El Cigarral as a clinic after the warning from the biotechnology institute's president. Fulgencio says his team is willing to rent some of the rooms, as patients love the isolated setting, but Ledgard refuses curtly, sending Fulgencio away.But instead of leaving, Fulgencio follows Ledgard to his study. We see Ledgard's pistol in his desk drawer as he lights up a smoke, before Fulgencio walks in. Fulgencio says he wants to show Ledgard the day's newspaper. On the front page is an article about two hundred young men and women that have gone missing over the last ten years. One of the photos is of Vicente, who Fulgencio recognizes as the patient he helped perform the vaginoplasty on. The newspaper article shows that Vicente was last seen by his family on September 10, 2006... and that now, six years later, his mother is still desperately trying to find him.Fulgencio and the rest of the medical team had always assumed that Vicente had chosen to undergo genital surgery, even though he was surprised that Vicente hadn't chosen to undergo hormone therapy. But now, in light of the newspaper article, and because he knows the documents supplied by Ledgard were false, Fulgencio has figured out that Ledgard kidnapped Vicente and used him as a test subject for Ledgard's synthetic skin compound... using trangenic techniques on a someone Ledgard had kidnapped. Transgenesis being strictly prohibited to begin with on ethical grounds, Fulgencio knows what kind of trouble Ledgard could be facing.Ledgard knows that Fulgencio intends to blackmail him, for Fulgencio's personal gain and benefit. He pulls his gun and orders Fulgencio off the property, as a subtle warning to watch what he says to who.As Fulgencio starts to back out, Vera comes into the study, having returned from her shopping trip. She's overheard part of the conversation, and tells Fulgencio that she has come to the clinic of her own free will, and that her name isn't Vicente, but Vera Cruz; she was always a woman. She sits casually on Ledgard's lap as Fulgencio leaves. Vera happens to glance down and sees the photo in the newspaper, and getting very nervous, she asks Ledgard for a cigarette.That evening, Ledgard and Vera are making love in his room. But Vera finds her vaginal area is still a little sore after Zeca tried to rape her. She's picked up some lubricant cream, but she can't find it among her shopping bags. She realizes it's still in her purse, which she left in Ledgard's study. Ledgard tells her that she can go down to the study to retrieve it.As Vera retrieves her purse, she takes Ledgard's gun out of his desk and puts it in the purse. She stares sadly at the photo of Vicente in the newspaper, and kisses it before hurrying back upstairs.Upstairs, Vera first tosses the tube of cream to Ledgard, who begins opening it with anticipation; only to find Vera holding the gun on him, telling him she's going to kill him, and her promise to him was a lie. She fires once, hitting him in the left side of his chest.Marilia is awakened by the sound of the shot. Knowing there's big trouble, she grabs her gun and hurries up to Ledgard's room, crying out in shock and dismay as she sees him-- her son-- lying dead on his bed. Spewing words of venom at Vera, Marilia sweeps the room with her gun. Of course, Vera's hiding place is the one place that Marilia doesn't look or anticipate: under the bed. Vera's hand and arm slide out from under the bed and she kills Marilia.Finally free from captivity and the need to play along with Ledgard's twisted whims, Vicente walks out of El Cigarral. The next day, a taxicab drops him back off at his mother's dress shop. Mrs. Piñeiro sends Cristina out to tend to him.Cristina is surprised when Vicente knows her name. Vicente lowers his voice to a whisper as he reveals that he is Vicente; he's been given a sex change, only escaped from his kidnappers after killing two people, and now he's come to Cristina for help. Cristina stares, not knowing what to make of the story, until Vera pulls off his jacket; he's wearing the dress he wanted to give Cristina on the day of Casilda's wedding; the one Cristina told Vicente that he should wear himself if he liked it so much.This is something that only Vicente would know, and Cristina and Vicente both begin to cry. Mrs. Piñeiro comes out to see what's wrong, and the movie ends with Vicente softly telling his mother, "Soy Vicente" (I'm Vicente). | psychological, boring, murder, flashback, insanity, romantic, revenge | train | imdb | Nice Almodóvar film revolving around a a nutty doctor (Antonio Banderas) who creates a type of synthetic skin and attempts to remake the bruised body of beloved beings , then , he kidnaps people .
It also uses the more complex and fractured time structure style of Almodovar's more recent work, to great effect.In the end its a gorgeous looking, philosophically complex mystery and horror film.
Although not gory, this is a disturbing work, both on a literal story level, and also for the questions it raises about identity, love, sado-masochism, and passion run amok.These themes are all Almodovar touchstones, but delivered here with a visually stunning icy touch, and with much more complete logic than in his early works, which often felt less fully thought through, and had more frustrating plot holes and character leaps.
His films openly explore subjects many acclaimed directors fear to tread and absorb in their whole entire careers, but what is always guaranteed with Almodovar is a sense of wonderment and the unexpected, and 'The Skin I Live In' ('La piel que habito') is no different.
This decision to structure the film in this way, also adequately supplements Almodovar's need to explore his key themes including sexual identity, and the nature of the moral of ethics of the human soul after it has been literally stripped bare.Coupled with the beautiful cinematography from Almodovar's long-time collaborator Jose Luis Alcaine and an original and complimentary score by Alberto Iglesias, 'The Skin I Live In' also becomes an example of technically proficient filmmaking which works alongside the performances of the likes of Banderas and Anaya, as well as the slickly written script which keeps the audience on their toes until the final curtain has been dropped.
Pedro Almodovar is undoubtedly one of the most successful auteurs of the last few decades, and with 'The Skin I Live In' he shows that he can almost touch upon a new genre, in the form of body horror genre-hybrid, whilst also retaining all the previous elements, themes and techniques which have made his films the deep-seated critically successful films that they are..
His latest effort (as usual in Spanish with English subtitles) is no exception, even tho he gives most of the screen time to his most accomplished discovery and frequent star, Antonio Banderas (seemingly one of the few Hispanic actors whom Americans will tolerate in a lead role), playing the brilliant and innovative plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard.
This is a deadly serious role, in marked contrast to Banderas's other current star turn as the voice of Puss in Boots.The female lead, Elena Anaya, plays Vera Cruz (yes), Ledgard's stunningly gorgeous patient, experimental subject, apparent captive, and
well, here Almodóvar (who co-wrote the screenplay with brother Agustín) gets a bit coy.
(This is the only science-fictional element in the film, and it's not much of a stretch from what modern medicine is actually capable of doing, which is why I categorize it as essentially a psychodrama.)There are 3 other characters of note: Ledgard's housekeeper Marilia (Marisa Paredes), an older woman with secrets of her own; her wastrel son Zeca (Roberto Álamo), who pays an unwelcome visit; and studly young Vicente (Jan Cornet), son of and apprentice to the local dressmaker, who takes a shine to now-teenage Norma as she shyly tries to work her way back into normal society.We learn most of the above during the first half hour, which leaves us wondering just what on Earth is going on here.
We first meet Doctor Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) in the present day, as he works tirelessly on perfecting a new skin for his subject, the young and beautiful Vera (Elena Anaya).
We already have a perception on Ledgard and a curiosity into understanding the events that bring him to where we met him, so the film becomes as much of a fascinating game of putting these puzzle pieces together as it is a character study and all-around masterwork of high drama.Slowly the pieces start to come together and I found myself constantly trying to figure out what happened in this world, how these events in the past connect to the present day we were introduced to.
It is at this point that through a slight thriller-style twist in the plot the story takes on a Shakespearean dimension as it delivers its powerful humanist lesson that vengeance begets vengeance.Food for thought, in fact enough food to last you days and feed other people, as you are left on the one hand wondering at the concept of skin: what we actually desire when we desire someone, whether all desire is skin-deep, whether the skin does not allow us to see the person behind.
I have read the novella Tarantula that this is supposedly loosely based on, however I found that it followed the novel extremely closely, I thought a lot of the twists and stuff that were in the book would be taken out if the film but thankfully most are present and accounted for.Antonio Banderas is so terrific as the leading man, he hasn't looked this great in screen in a long time, I think he seems more at home in his native language, and Elena Anaya is absolutely radiant on the big screen, her face just lights up the screen and she is absolutely exceptional in a very strange role.
The story is really a bizarre one, it's seems like a less perverted De Sade and a more understandable David Lynch, it always takes you by surprise and it is highly original and also somewhat daring I think, and thank god a director like Almodovar decided to film it and not some silly director.The cinematography and music is beautiful, the colours and textures in the film are picked up beautifully by the camera and the music is a great companion to each scene, it's so close to perfection in the production design department that i would go so far to say as I haven't seen a better looking film this year.
What is the connection between Vicente and Vera?"La Piel que Habito" is an intriguing and dark film of revenge and obsession by Pedro Almodóvar that recalls George Franju's "Les Yeux Sans Visage" ("Eyes without a Face") but in a David Cronenberg's style.
Would it have been so hard to obtain competent medical/scientific advice and write a more credible script?Even the elegant cinematography cannot rescue such a poor plot, uninteresting dialogues and complete lack of psychological depth of the main character.In summary this is a completely uninspired Almodovar and what a missed opportunity for restarting work with Antonio Banderas.Sorry Pedro, but you can do a lot better than that..
This film is mildly recommended.Pedro Almodovar's latest offering, The Skin I Live In, continues his directorial trademark of vivid primary colors and graphic patterns, interesting photographic perspectives, hyperbolic narratives that border on Telemundo soap opera excesses, and such flourish and visual élan that only enhance his unique personal style.
It never seems to quite come together.Almodovar assembles his patchwork story to tell the tale of Dr. Robert Ledgard ( Antonio Banderas, in a demanding and challenging role), a famous plastic surgeon who seems to have come undone with the recent tragic death of his beautiful wife, the victim of a fiery car crash.
So does his long-time housekeeper, Marilia ( Marisa Paredes ), and Vera herself.To say anymore about the plot could spoil the film's many twists and turns in a convoluted screenplay written by the director, a script that interweaves past and present events to fill out the mystery and the resulting tension of the doctor's fixation.
Almodovar's depiction of sexual acts is again totally hypnotic and frank in its presentation and he directs his actors well enough to avoid embarrassment as the characters become more unpleasant and the film's plot becomes more ludicrous and outlandish with every new reveal.The Skin I Live In wants to be seen as a serious film about obsession, revenge, and the use of power to control the human condition.
That made me have very big expectations before watching La Piel que Habito, his most recent film.Unfortunately, La Piel que Habito ended up disappointing me pretty much, and I think that (with the exception of La Mala Educación) it is Almodóvar's least achieved film so far, because it is so committed to surprising us with its ingenuity that it sabotages a moderately interesting story with an excessive number of characters, hollow grotesqueness and unnecessary turns in order to lead to a too simple message.Many people have mentioned the fact that La Piel que Habito is a horror film, or at least, an interpretation of the horror genre filtered through Almodóvar's sensibility; however, I consider it a melodrama where there is not any real suspense or fear, but a group of turbid characters tortured by the obsession, by tragic family secrets, and the internal and external fight of their sexual identity.
Besides, the elements of "clinical horror" Almodóvar incorporated into the melodrama look like tributes (or "loans") to films which were genuinely interested in examining the relationship between body and mind, such as Dans Ma Peau, Les Yeux Sans Visage and the classic work from director David Cronenberg.
I'm not a fan of Almodovar's movies, in this case it was certainly capturing and intriguing as there are interesting plot twists, the criticism concerning the unlikeliness, from a scientific and medical point of view, of the story is in my opinion totally out of place, since it is evidently and consciously implausible, as the director consciously built a totally unlikely story just to explore a very dear theme to him, that of identity.
I will stop the set up description right here.Directed by Pedro Almodovar, The Skin I Live In is a suspenseful thriller and verges on horror; however, in the director's own words, it is a "horror story without screams or frights".
Anaya is terrific as the mysterious & volatile patient, Paredes maintains a firm control over her character while Cornet's part is far more vital to the plot than it looks.On an overall scale, The Skin I Live In is perplexing & frustrating at first but begins to make sense once all the pieces of the puzzle find their respective spots and form a unified whole.
A gripping, thrilling & scarring experience, with elements of horror & sci-fi thrown into the mix, The Skin I Live In is an end result of restrained direction from Almodóvar & honest performances from its faithful cast, and is definitely worth a watch..
It's a teasing thriller cleverly disguised as a horror, taking inspiration from classics and art-house pieces that explored both the beauty and horror of the human form, and our eagerness to tamper with it.The reserved and clearly mad plastic surgeon Robert Ledgard (Banderas) is on the verge of a breakthrough in the development of a synthetic human skin; one that avoids blemishing and has a resistance to mosquito bites and even fire.
I had to come here and write a review, I felt compelled to do it actually because nobody can call this "A Full-on Masterpiece" without seriously recognizing that is something very wrong with the way you're seeing the human race.This movie depicts the mind a serious deviated psychological psychopath and with big sexual problems.The fact that in the first 15 minutes of movie, out of nowhere I had to endure a rape scene (one of the worst I seen in a movie) and without any justification whatsoever (character development my a..) talks itself pretty clear of the intentions of the director.Almodovar seriously needs a shrink and I am beginning to wonder where are we in the sense of well being if we like this piece of garbage.I like to be entertained in a movie, even shocked or think, but not to be disgusted by the distorted thoughts of a seriously messed up director.If you think watching a couple of really gone wrong humans doing the worst conceivable sexual deviations is your idea of fun then go watch this movie.
"The Skin I Live In" is the latest Spanish film from writer and director Pedro Almodóvar who once again explores issues of sexuality, rape, and extremely dysfunctional relationships.
Instead we see Antonio Banderas and Elena Anaya develop the most unlikely relationship you'll see in a very long time.Banderas is electric as the cool and calculated surgeon using Anaya (wow) as his human guinea pig to develop a new kind of indestructible skin as he grieves the death of his wife as a consequence of a car fire.It's pretty hard to cover much more of the plot for fear of spoiling what is a tremendous film with perhaps the best twist I've ever seen in a cinema.
This Spanish horror movie stars Antonio Banderas as an obsessed plastic surgeon called Robert Ledgard that looks for the way to make the perfect skin and who gives a subtly eerie performance that visualizes the insanity of obsession, breaking thick boundaries to get there.
Telling a story far to often forgotten about The Skin I Live In does not hesitate when it comes time to show what we need to see, in order to really feel the effects of the film.
I am a huge fan of Pedro Almodovar, but "The Skin I Live In" from 2011 is not my favorite film of his; in fact, it's my least favorite.I was not expecting a horror film from this wonderful director.
Unfortunately I hate horror films.Antonio Banderas is a doctor and scientist who keeps a beautiful young female patient (Elena Anaya) in his home while he invents a new type of human skin that won't burn, as his wife was burned in a car crash.
Pedro Almodóvar continues to craft an impressive cinematic career by paying the best type of homage to Alfred Hitchcock—without blatantly copying Hitchcock, Almodóvar appropriates his style, his tone, and his penchant for terrifying subject matter and translates these elements into original, contemporary stories that Hitchcock himself would have surely told if he were alive today and living in Spain."The Skin I Live In" focuses on Robert Ledgard (played by Antonio Banderas in what is undoubtedly the most sophisticated performance of his career), a plastic surgeon who has endured more than his share of tragedy—an unfaithful wife who suffers a horribly disfiguring accident, a traumatized daughter unable to cope with her family's misfortune and other indignities, and a childhood and family history of his own that is shrouded in mystery.
Total uninhibited sexual freedom.Same way he shows us how an involuntary sex change can be traumatic at the very beginning but later on, as time passes, the "victim" becomes accustomed to it and continues living -- humans always adapt, if they don't commit suicide, to their present situation if they do not have possibilities for changing their destinies, as it happened to victims of concentration camps, enslavement or forced prostitution.Some reviewers found a total lack of humor in this movie, I found a few subtle moments of it, maybe because Spanish is my mother tongue and besides, after my many years as a resident in Spain, I understand (and adore) their incredible sense of humor: When Banderas character comes into the garden and throws the evidence of his crime in the open fire, Marisa Paredes character asks him "Did you buried him?", "Yes" says him, "Did you pray for him?" well..., this was too much, the murderer praying for his victim, this is Almodovar at his best.The end, the very last scene of this picture belongs in the anthology of movie making: ¡¡¡SPOILERS AHEAD!!!When Vera (Vicente) comes back and walks into his mother's shop looking not only very different from his previous self but now as a full blown woman, the salesgirl comes from the back room, where she was talking to Vicente's (Vera now) mother, she, of course, doesn't recognize Vicente when facing Vera (we must remember that this girl is a lesbian and when Vicente tried to seduce her at the beginning of the movie she rejected him, nicely but firmly) Vera (Vicente) explains to her what happened during those years he was absent when his mother comes in from the back room to see what is going on with this strange client and he simply says to her: "I'm Vicente".
Pedro Almodovar has at least one good film that is not skin deep: The Skin I Live In explores the mad scientist in a thriller that shows a brilliant cosmetic surgeon, Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), channeling Dr. Frankenstein, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Alfred Hitchcock.In the futuristic 2012, Ledgard uses a new transgenic skin, manufactured from pig DNA, to transform deformed subjects beautiful, but as in all allegories that have characters playing god, nothing really good follows this arrogance.Ledgard has suffered the loss of his wife and tries very hard to save his daughter, Norma (Blanca Suarez).
From the mind of one of Spain premier film director, Pedro Almodovar, is The Skin I Live In, a very compelling and interesting psychological thriller that oozes style and themes that will keep you engrossed throughout.Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) is a skilled plastic surgeon who is attempting to make a synthetic skin that is tougher then nature human skin, with the hope that it would cure burn injuries and stop malaria.
It's a Spanish film, it's written and directed by someone called Pedro Almodóvar, who in my 20 years I had yet to come across, and the poster gives little away other than suggesting Antonio Banderas is in it and a lot of critics think it's very, very good.
When we all expected Antonio Banderas'career to have reached a dead end, here comes Mr Pedro Almodovar and offers him a great role in his newest movie: La Piel que Habito.My advice to those who will watch this movie: do not read spoilers, just go with the basic info you need: Banderas is a surgeon working on some sort of synthetic skin while keeps a strange relationship with one of his patients who lives in his house. |
tt0049013 | The Black Sleep | The picture opens with narration over a black screen. Basil Rathbone tells us, "The ancients who wrote in the sensory tongue made first mention of the strange drug they called Nind Andhera. This drug was first introduced into the city of Lahore in the Punjab in the 703rd year after the death of the Prophet, praise his memory. This drug has the power to place a mans body and limbs into helplessness and his soul sleeps. Nor does he feel pain. He is as a dead man, yet he is not of the dead." Title and credits follow.A wide shot of Newgate Prison in London in the year 1872 is followed by two guards and Sir Joel Cadman (Basil Rathbone) going to see a prisoner. Dr. Gordon Angus Ramsay (Herbert Rudley) is a condemned man, scheduled to hang the next morning. Cadman was his medical school teacher. Ramsay is chained to the wall. He complains that he was convicted on circumstantial evidence of killing a man named Curry. Ramsay does admit to some of the facts, but does not remember most of what occurred. Most distressing to Ramsay is the fact that after being hanged his body is to be delivered to a medical school for dissection, instead of a proper burial. Cadman assures his student that will not happen. He has interceded with the Lord Chief Justice to get that provision of his sentence rescinded. Cadman is to get Ramsay's body and will be buried properly. Cadman pops the top on his walking stick and pours a small amount of powder into a cup. He instructs Ramsay to take a drink in the morning before the guards come for him. He explains it is only a sedative to help him cope with the ordeal. The next morning in his cell, while the crowd outside gets restless, three men stand next to the dead body of Ramsay. The prison doctor pronounces time of death at approximately 5:00 a.m.Odo the Gypsy (Akim Tamiroff) escorts Dr. Cadman to a room containing a coffin containing the body of Dr. Ramsay. Cadman prepares a syringe and inject the antidote into the arm of Ramsay, which shows signs of rigor mortis. Cadman and Odo hold the body down. Ramsay begins to revive, his body racked with spasms and labored breathing. Cadman informs his student, "You're dead Dr. Ramsay." He then reads the Death Certificate to Ramsay. Odo and Cadman lift Ramsay out of the coffin. Cadman reveals that the antidote must be administered within twelve hours or death occurs, and his reason for the rescue from the hangman. Cadman objects to state sponsored murder and that he needs the help of a skilled surgeon. Ramsay voices his appreciation.At St. Griffins, an old abbey on the east coast of England, Cadman and Ramsay arrive by carriage. Casimir (Bela Lugosi) answers the door and takes their hats and coats. An immediate commotion ensues. Laurie Monroe (Patricia Blair as Patricia Blake) runs screaming to Dr. Cadman followed her tormentor, Mungo (Lon Chaney) formerly Dr. Monroe. Mungo approaches dragging one foot and is unresponsive to Dr. Cadman's orders to stop. Mungo pushes aside the two medical men and attacks Laurie. Daphne (Phyllis Stanley), Cadman's nurse appears. She is the only person who has any influence over Mungo. Mungo releases Laurie and takes Daphne's hand then limps away. Cadman escorts Ramsay to his room. Daphne tends to the comatose body of Cadman's wife, Angelina (an uncredited Louanna Gardner). She brushes her hair and takes her temperature. Cadman enters and is briefed on his wife's condition. Cadman tells his nurse he must operate soon. He plans brain surgery to cure the paralysis and coma.The next morning the two medical men have breakfast and discuss the Mungo mishap. Ramsay thinks Mungo looks familiar and is informed that Mungo was a lecturer at the medical college, Dr. Monroe. He suffered a brain disease and Cadman promises to cure him. Cadman then shows Ramsay a diagram of the brain and explains the areas and their functions. The full nature of Ramsay's task is explained, "The work is too complex for one man. You, doctor, you shall help me complete my chart." Cadman leads Ramsay through a door at the back of a large, open, fireplace. The secret door leads to an old part of the abbey tower Cadman now uses for his surgery. Daphne and Laurie are already present and preparing a cadaver for surgery. Cadman and Ramsay wash their hands while Daphne finishes shaving the head of K6, a sailor (George Sawaya). Ramsay is under the impression that the sailor is a cadaver, but will soon learn to the contrary. Cadman marks the skull for surgery then begins. He opens a section of the skull and applies electrodes to parts of the exposed brain. The body responds by lifting his right arm, next by trying to speak, and finally by opening his eyes. Cadman cuts a section of brain away which results in the leakage of cerebral fluid. Ramsay now realizes the cadaver is actually a heavily sedated man. Cadman explains that K6 is under influence of Black Sleep and feels nothing. Ramsay is shocked and horrified and expresses his surprise at the callous disregard for human life Cadman shows.Ramsay is in his room when he hears a knock at the door. A note is shoved under the door. He hears Laurie scream in the hall and goes to investigate. Mungo is attacking the woman. Ramsay tries to help and is attacked by Mungo. Daphne appears from her room and saves Ramsay. Returning to his room, Ramsay reads the note and heads for the kitchen. He hides when Casimir appears carrying a bed warmer. In the kitchen, he meets with Laurie. Laurie explains that Mungo is Dr. Monroe, her father. Casimir interrupts the couple to get coals for the bed warmer. Ramsay comforts Laurie, he explains that Cadman will help and operate on her father. Laurie informs Ramsay that Cadman has already operated. Prior to surgery Dr. Monroe was paralyzed on one side of his body, but otherwise normal and kindly towards her, but after surgery the paralysis was cured, except for the foot dragging, but his personality was completely changed. Laurie tells Ramsay there have been other surgeries but she does not know where the bodies have gone.The next morning Ramsay is finishing his notes on the previous surgery. Cadman expresses his appreciation to have a colleague and trained man to assist in the work. Cadman reviews the notes. Ramsay asks Cadman about the surgery on Dr. Monroe. Cadman finally admits that he damaged the reasoning section of his brain. He also admits the sailor is recovering, but there have been changes. Odo makes a call on Cadman to inform him that he is having trouble obtaining another surgical candidate--a woman, the mistress of Curry. Ramsay is tormented by his work and sleeps fitfully.In London, a woman calls on Odo at his studio. Carmona Daly (Claire Carleton) has come in regards to some work. Odo explains that he is in need of a model, but she expresses reluctance to prostitute herself. Odo assures her that he only wishes to sketch her face. He drugs her, but before he can make transportation arrangements the police pay a call on the studio. Sgt. Steele (an uncredited Peter Gordon) and Roundsman Blevins (an uncredited Clive Morgan) search the studio, with Odo's permission. They are looking for Miss Daly in regards to the Curry murder case. She had provided some information and is needed for further questioning. Odo decides not to revive Carmona Daly and disposes of the antidote.At the abbey, Cadman informs Ramsay that a final experiment, a dual surgery, is to be performed the next day. Ramsay asks Laurie where the post-surgical recovery area is located. She tells Ramsay she does not know. He asks about Curry, but she tells him names are never used, but, "Dr. Cadman pointed at the big man and said Curry powder comes from India and so does the black sleep, they ought to hit it off." Ramsay confides his secret and explains he needs to find Curry and alive to free himself. They walk behind the fireplace, but open the wrong door. That passage takes them down into the basement, instead of up to the tower and the surgery. Ramsay opens a locked door and the pair explore. This basement room is the recovery area. They first encounter a very thin man with very long hair. He is named Borg (John Carradine), but he calls himself Bohemond, a crusader. He rambles about the Holy Land. They walk on and find the sailor identified as K6. His face is contorted, one eye closed and skin lesions covering the right side of his face. He begs for help, then tries to kill Dr. Ramsay. Their third discovery is a woman, young Nancy (Sally Yarnell), who laughs maniacally. She is covered in patches of tufts of hair all over her arms and back. Finally, Laurie and Ramsay find Curry (Tor Johnson). Like all the others he is chained to the wall. Curry is now bald, blind and mute. Cadman, Mungo, Daphne and Casimir appear. Ramsay and Laurie are taken out of the basement by force. Curry finds the keys to the chains that Ramsay dropped in his niche. Cadman accuses Ramsay, "You've been very foolish Dr. Ramsay. Foolish and very ungrateful. I saved your life." Ramsay demands to be allowed to leave. Cadman refuses. Odo arrives with the dead body of Carmona Daly. Odo suggests Laurie substitute for Miss Daly and Cadman agrees. He will use her during the operation on his wife to avoid sensitive areas of her brain. The police arrive and Casimir is sent to delay their interference. Sgt. Steele presents himself along with Det. Redford (an uncredited John Sheffield) to Cadman. They inquire as to the location of Carmona and Odo, then depart the abbey after Cadman satisfies their questions. Cadman goes to retrieve his wife while Ramsay tries to escape with the now sedated Laurie. He decides to drug Mungo and carry Laurie out. Daphne is attacked behind the fireplace by Borg and the other three basement escapees. Daphne catches fire and runs away. The former surgical patients go up to the surgery. Ramsay administers the antidote to Laurie. Mungo recovers from his anesthesia as Laurie recovers from the Black Sleep. The four former patients enter the surgery and attack Mungo. They dispatch Mungo then turn their attention on Cadman, who arrives with his wife in his arms. Laurie and Ramsay slip past the crowd and escape the room. Cadman is not so lucky. He is chased out of the room and fall off the stairs (no guardrails, remember this is a 10th century abbey). The police are there to greet the pair as they exit the fireplace door. Odo is placed under arrest and taken away. We close with Laurie and Ramsay walking arm in arm away from the abbey. | insanity | train | imdb | null |
tt0283003 | Spun | Ross (Jason Schwartzman) is a regular customer of Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), a methamphetamine dealer. Spider Mike and his girlfriend Cookie (Mena Suvari) are constantly arguing, and Ross strikes up a friendship with Nikki (Brittany Murphy), a fellow addict. Speed scab ridden Frisbee (Patrick Fugit), an avid gamer, is kicked out of the house by Spider Mike, who is furious over losing his stash. Nikki takes Ross to "The Cook" (Mickey Rourke), who supplies Spider Mike from a meth lab he has set up in a motel room. The Cook gives a small amount of meth to Ross in exchange for bringing Nikki (his girlfriend) home, and says that he will get in touch with Ross if he needs a driver.Back at his apartment, Ross gets messages from his mother and his former girlfriend Amy, (Charlotte Ayanna) wishing him a happy birthday; Amy is also demanding that he pay back the money he owes her. Ross, assuming she still loves him, calls her and leaves a message. He then goes to the local strip club while high, leading to an intense pornographic hallucination. He takes one of the dancers, April (Chloe Hunter), home and has sex with her while they both use meth. As they finish, the Cook calls with an emergency regarding Nikki's dog. Ross, still high, leaves April handcuffed and tied to the bed, despite her protests, and duct-tapes her eyes and mouth shut to keep her quiet.While Ross and Nikki take the dog to the veterinarian, policemen and a TV crew raid the trailer where Frisbee lives, falsely believing that a meth lab is located there. They take Frisbee and his overweight mother into custody, where they threaten him into cooperation in a drug bust.The same day, Ross and the Cook stop by a local gas station to pick up a case of ephedrine pills (one of the ingredients needed to make meth) and a soda. Next they go to a liquor store to purchase a six-pack of beer; here the Cook beats up another dealer after he slaps one of the cashiers for attempting to buy meth from Spider Mike. They then visit an adult film store, where the Cook memorably preaches about the values of pornography in America. Ross calls Amy's house again, but to no avail. He drops the Cook off at his place and rushes home to April, who is still tied to the bed. She appears to forgive him, and they proceed to have more sex.In the Cook's motel room, he and Nikki have a fight after a prostitute arrives. Nikki ends their relationship, and calls Ross and asks him to take her to a bus station so she can go back to Las Vegas. Ross leaves April again, who is still tied to the bed; she is subsequently rescued by Ross' lesbian neighbor (Debbie Harry).While Ross and Nikki are out, Frisbee is coerced by the cops to wear a wire and make a deal with Spider Mike so they can arrest him. When he enters, Cookie attempts to make love to him, her revenge on Spider Mike for his usage of a phone sex line. She finds the wire, and the cops rush in to make the drug bust. Spider Mike, furious at Frisbee's betrayal, shoots him in the testicles, and Spider Mike and Cookie are arrested.While this is happening, the Cook's meth lab catches fire and destroys his motel room. He takes off to the adult film store, where he is arrested after the owner (Rob Halford) calls the police. Once the Cook makes bail, he calls Ross asking for a ride to another dealer's house in the city after he drops Nikki off at the station. Ross learns of everyone else's arrests, and agrees to drive him there, as well as visit Amy, who also lives in the city.The other dealer (Eric Roberts) provides the Cook with cash, some meth, and the equipment to start a new meth lab. Ross calls Amy again, and leaves a message asking to see her and that he has her money with him. The Cook promises six months' worth of meth to Ross in exchange for being his chauffeur; he agrees on the condition that he can see Amy first. Amy, who has gotten her life together and found steady work in the city, leaves him in the park after seeing that he is still an addict. He gives her $100 of the money he owes her, and leaves with the Cook.Finally, after several days of nonstop frantic activity fueled by drug use, the main characters all go to sleep except for the Cook. As Ross naps in his car, the Cook walks into the trailer designated for his new meth lab. A few moments after being inside, the trailer, along with the Cook blow up... a probable suicide. | pornographic, boring, entertaining | train | imdb | null |
tt0082235 | Dark Night of the Scarecrow | In a small nameless town in the Deep South, "Bubba" Ritter (Larry Drake), a large but gentle retarded man, befriends young 10-year-old Marylee Williams, (Tonya Crowe). Some of the townspeople are upset by the friendship between Marylee and Bubba, and the brooding, mean-spirited postman Otis Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) is the worst. When Marylee is almost killed by a vicious dog (Bubba saves her) and lies unconscious at a doctor's office, Otis promptly assumes that Bubba has murdered (and likely raped) her. Otis and three friends - gas station attendant Skeeter Norris and farmer-cousins Philby and Harliss Hocker - form a lynch mob. They chase Bubba to his mother (Jocelyn Brando)'s house. She believes her son and they play "the Hiding Game": disguising Bubba as a scarecrow and posting him in a nearby field to wait for the drama to cool down. Otis' bloodhounds sniff Bubba out, however, and all four vigilantes empty multiple rounds from their guns into him, killing him. Afterwards, they discover that Marylee is in fact alive, thanks to Bubba, whom they have just murdered. Acting fast, Otis places a pitchfork in Bubba's lifeless hands to make it appear as if he were attacking them with a weapon.In court, Otis and his fellow vigilantes swear they acted in self-defense. Bubba's mother denounces her son's killers before the courtroom, stating, "You may think that you're getting off free, but there's other justice in this world, besides the law!" only to be ejected by the bailiff. Sam Willock, the local district attorney, does not believe the vigilantes' self-defense story, but he cannot make the murder case stick due to a lack of witnesses. The vigilantes go free, but Sam calls after them: "Hazelrigg, just a minute. I want to tell you "men" one thing. I think you executed that man. And I promise you this; If I ever find a single shred of evidence, I'll see every one of you on Death row!"That night, Otis and the rest of his friends celebrate their freedom at a local bar with several locals who stand by them and bad-mouth the simpleton Bubba. A mysterious wind blows through the deserted town's main street and through the town itself. Meanwhile, a recovered Marylee sneaks out of her house and travels to the Ritter house where Mrs. Ritter tells her that Bubba is no longer around, but that he will return.A day or two later, Harliss finds a scarecrow in his fields like the one Bubba was hidden in. Neither Harliss nor his wife can figure out how it got there as neither of them placed it. That evening, the scarecrow has disappeared. As he begins his walk up the steps to his front door, the wood chipper begins to run, and a light comes on in the barn. At first, Harliss believes Sam has invited himself over, walks to the barn, and shuts off the chipper. As he investigates, he climbs up the hayloft to confront what he now believes is the district attorney snooping around his barn. Walking on the support beam, he is startled as the wood chipper is mysteriously reactivated. Losing his balance, he grabs the cord of the light that is hanging in the barn. Screaming, he calls for his wife. No longer able to hang on as the sparks from the light shower him, he loses his grip on the light and dies after falling into the chipper.The next morning, Skeeter and Philby inform Otis of Harliss's mysterious death at the boarding house where Otis resides. The trio investigate, and find the thresher is no longer operational. Otis figures it must have run out of gas, but when its tank proves to be nearly full, he jumps to another conclusion. The next morning, he visits Mrs. Ritter and accuses her of killing his friend, although he cannot prove anything. She denies the charges, but says that all four of the men will get their just deserts promptly enough (and also implies that Otis is a pedophile).That evening, a Halloween costume party is held by the town at the local elementary school, and most of the town children attend, including Marylee. When she is alone in a hallways playing 'hide and seek' with her school friends, Otis appears and asks her questions about what she may know about Harliss' death. Marylee becomes defensive and refuses to answer. When Otis pesters her, Marylee exclaims that she knows that Otis and his three friends killed Bubba and covered it up to make it look like self-defense. When Otis asks how she knows, Marylee replies that Bubba told her. When Otis says that Bubba is dead, Marylee replies "I know".The next day, Philby discovers a scarecrow just like the one Bubba was dressed as in his field. When Otis hears about it, he acts fast. He breaks into Mrs. Ritter's house that evening as she sits before her lit fireplace and grabs her from behind, demanding that she explain what's going on with the scarecrows. But she cannot tell him anything because she has suffered a heart attack as he tries to muffle her screams. To cover his tracks, Otis turns Mrs. Ritter's gas stove on full, then walks out. As the gas reaches the fireplace the house explodes, again leaving nothing for Sam to use against Otis.The following night at his farm, Philby notices that the "Bubba" scarecrow (whom the viewer cannot see) in his field has gotten off its field-post, and is walking toward him. Panicking, Philby locks himself in a grain silo. The scarecrow jams the silo door, trapping Philby inside, and then turns on the conveyor belt feeding into the silo. Philby is buried in grain and perishes.The next day, Skeeter is ready to turn himself in rather than face the scarecrow's wrath. Yet Otis remains convinced that it's all a hoax by somebody seeking to avenge the Ritter murder. To verify said theory, Otis and Skeeter break into the local cemetery that night. They dig up Bubba's coffin and open it. Bubba is inside (again the viewers do not see the decomposing corpse). Otis has to wrestle Skeeter to stop him from fleeing in terror. They agree to fill the grave back in and forget any of this ever happened. But as Skeeter is nailing the coffin shut again, Otis kills him from behind by striking his head with a shovel. Otis re-buries both corpses and then drives off, back towards town.En route home, Otis finds Marylee alone at roadside, and chases her into a pumpkin patch. He grabs Marylee and accuses her of masterminding the scarecrow murders. Suddenly, a combination payloader/plowing machine starts up nearby and chases Otis through the pumpkin patch, snapping its shovel and turning pumpkins to pulp. (It is strongly implied that no one is driving the plow.) As he flees, Otis accidentally runs into the Bubba-Scarecrow, still holding the pitchfork, on which Otis has just impaled himself. Otis sinks to his knees and points at the Scarecrow before keeling over dead. The scarecrow walks off through the pumpkin patch and finds Marylee, to whom he hands a flower. She says: "Thank you, Bubba. You know what? Tomorrow, I think I'll teach you a new game. Did I ever show you how to play the Chasing Game? It's fun. You'll love it. It's sort of like playing tag..." | cult, revenge, cruelty, murder, violence | train | imdb | That way, "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" doesn't have to rely on blood, disembowelings and gratuitous special FX for its shock value.All you old-school horror fans check this out: here's a relatively recent movie that earns every shock and scare it gets with its eerie atmosphere, earnest performances and an especially villainous turn by Durning as tyrannical postman.Everything is sweaty, nail-biting and almost unbearably tense from first frame to last.
Music is by Glenn Paxton and cinematography by Vincent Martinelli.Small town Americana and Bubba Ritter (Drake), a friendly but mentally challenged man, is falsely accused of attacking and severely injuring young Marylee Williams (Crowe).
It's not long afterwards, though, that the men start to see a scarecrow in their midst
Some things from movies just stay with you from when you were a wee youngster, I still remember the first time I heard the anguished cry of Bubba Ritter stating that he didn't do the crime he was being hunted for.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow stood out by some considerable mile as one of the best TV horror movies I saw as a youth, not for things that I would later appreciate in film making as I got older, but just for sheer terror of a scarecrow stalking his prey for divine retribution.
Some thought went into the screenplay, and it's credit to the writers that it never becomes a moral crusade, while the crafting of the lovely innocent friendship between Bubba and Marylee is beautifully born out by actors and technicians alike.Durning and Drake dominate the movie with classy shows, impressive in Drake's case as he is only in it for a short amount of time, but the work of young Tonya Crowe puts her in the club that houses best child performances of the 80s.
The photography is textured, the music equally so, and there's even some shards of humour and irony along the way.I can imagine many of today's horror fans going into Dark Night of the Scarecrow and being very disappointed not to get a Voorhees type movie, while some more sensitive viewers may find the portrayals of backwater folk as being ignorantly stereotyped by the makers.
The wind is always blowing leaves across a lonely road, the shadows seem especially deep, and as the title states, the night seems especially dark.There is minimal blood and special effects - the film relies on the setting and the performances of the actors to deliver the goods.
In a small country town, the thirty-six year old mentally handicapped Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) has the mentality of a child and is the best friend of the young local girl Marylee.
They are released, but justice comes from the grave and the men are mysteriously killed, one by one, in the revenge of the scarecrow."Dark Night of the Scarecrow" is an excellent unknown made-for-TV movie.
The supernatural story is great, and the performances of the whole cast is outstanding, highlighting Charles Durning as a nasty scum and Larry Drake in the touching role of a sweet retarded man living in a prejudicial community.
In a small country town, the retarded Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) has the mentality of a child and is the best friend of a young local girl.
They are released, but justice comes from the grave and the men are mysteriously killed, one by one, in the revenge of the scarecrow.Wow, what an excellent movie this unknown made-for-TV "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" is!
i just saw it 2 days ago on TBS with my girlfriend and it's still spooky!!!I cant believe this was a made for t.v movie!!!!SCARY AS HELL!!!Ten time scary than Friday the thirteenth, Halloween, or Nightmare on elm street...This movie, along with "The Shining",prove you don't need lots of pointless blood and guts to give you the creeps...The first time i saw this movie i was around 7/8 in my mom's bed one night and two scenes were forever stuck in my mind...(1)Otis' hate-filled look at Bubba while he hides in the Scarecrow get up (2) the scream that poor Mrs. Ritter yelled when alone with Hazelrig...In fact, I could not finish watching the movie when i was a kid because of Jocelyn Brando's scream scene so i told mom to shut it off...it wasnt till i was 24 i would learn who the scarecrow was - at least i think, i know...great acting by Charles Durning as Otis Hazelrig...an old mailman so cheap he lives in an old folks home and practically lives in his mailman fatigues...He who seems too interested in young Maylee...Awesome scenes...when Hazelrig and Skeeter go the graveyard and dig up Bubba's casket,open it and find what their looking for or what their NOT looking for?...the climactic scene where Hazelrig confronts Maylee for the truth...Is it indeed the girl?...is is the D.A?...or as Mrs. Ritter said "some other justice in the world"...I'm not tellingthe music just adds to the whole creepyness...that violin gets me spooked everytime...WATCH THIS FLICK NEXT TIME IT'S ON TBS OR TNT!!!
However, there's no evidence the district attorney can provide to suggest that the murder was anything other than self defense.Have no fear, however, as these four men will soon start to be psychologically terrorized and ultimately killed.To start with, this is an exceptionally good looking film, even more so now that the movie is available on DVD and Blu-ray and has been restored.
The story allows for some genuine scares and suspense - more to be found than in a good number of theatrical productions - and 'Dark Night of the Scarecrow' gets high marks for its potency; while its horrors are mostly implicit rather than explicit, they still pack a punch.
Even the extreme violence that the movie suggests is intense for anything made for prime time network TV; one of the deaths may well have inspired a similar sequence in "Witness" approximately four years later.Give credit to writers J.D. Feigelson & Butler Handcock and director Frank De Felitta for keeping things ambiguous right up until near the very end.
And Jocelyn Brando (Marlon's older sister) is wonderful as Bubba's loving mother, who reminds us all that the law isn't the only form of justice that exists.This is great stuff that could be enjoyed at any time of the year, not just Halloween.
Watching it now a number of scenes bring to mind other more recent films, whether it's just a coincidence or homage, there is just something about it that makes it a joy to watch.Bubba played by Larry Drake, who you might remember as Durant from the "Darkman" movies, is a sweet natured mentally challenged man in a small farming community.
The leader of the posse, played by Charles Durning in a truly evil turn, places a pitchfork in Bubba's dead hands to make it look like they killed him in self defense.
The ending is strong and provides a good conclusion to the film; and, overall, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Dark Night of the Scarecrow to any horror fan..
A mentally retarded man named Bubba (played to absolute perfection by Drake) becomes the best friend of a young girl in a small country town, but a local group of rednecks headed by Durning (another excellent performance) decide they don't like it and take it upon themselves to try to break it up.
But soon find that "there is other justice besides the law" as quoted by Bubba's mother, and begin to meet their fates one at a time.Its been my experience that whenever I see that "made for TV" note next to the title of a movie it is like the kiss of death, but this forgotten about gem is a big exception, in fact I wonder why it wasn't released theatrically?
I ended up watching the remainder of the film, very much drawn in by the story.I remember very vividly the moment when Bubba was being chased, hid in the scarecrow only to be trapped by dogs and men with guns.
If you like not complicated horror movie plots, OK acting, simple story but with simple and very good direction - "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" is surely to be check one.
What makes it still enjoyable is Charles Durning's performance as the evil postman who'll do anything to cover for his crime, that crime being the killing of mentally handicapped Bubba, who was mistakingly blamed for the mauling of his child friend, Mary Lee. Durning and his three cronies get literally get away with murder (they shoot Bubba to death while he's hiding inside a scarecrow), but they all get warned by Bubba's mother that there are other types of justice.
Genuinely scary, effective, memorable thriller about a mentally challenged man named Bubba(superbly played by Larry Drake) who is murdered by bigoted townspeople who think his innocent friendship with a young girl is inappropriate, and how this group of men(led by the sinister Otis Hazelrigg, played menacingly by Charles Durning) are mysteriously killed in "accidents".
Little seen but well remembered by those lucky enough to catch it, DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW is a great example of the TV horror film that America did so well during the '70s and '80s.
There are shades of STRAW DOGS (with Drake in the David Warner role) as the tensions escalate, but then the movies becomes something else entirely: a subtle and sinister ghost story.Let's get it straight: DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW doesn't really bring anything new to the table.
A retarded man named Bubba is wrongly accused of killing a little girl he is friends with, chased down by an angry mob (led by an incredible Charles Durning) and killed, as he hides in a scarecrow.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a reminder that "made-for-tv" movies were once good, and dealt with something other than child molestation, adultery, and cheesy soap opera storylines, and starred better actors than Beverly Hills 90210 wash-ups.This is one of the creepiest films I've ever seen, and I have seen a great number of so-called "horror" movies.
In fact, the only other horror movies I can think of that really do scare me are "The Shining" (Stanley Kubrick version), and the first Halloween movie.Our plotline follows a young girl and her retarded adult friend Bubba (played by Larry Drake from Darkman).
Finally watched this 1981 made for "CBS" TV movie called "Dark Night of the Scarecrow" and I must say that it was effective and worked with fright and fear and the story is simple and down to earth and twist with revenge.
Set in a small rural country southern town this story and tale is that of one Bubba Ritter(the now late veteran character actor Larry Drake of "HBO's" "Tales from the Crypt" episodes: "And All Thru the House" and "The Secret") who's a nice and liked good guy who's a little slow though with a child like mind.
DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW is a made-for-TV horror movie about prejudice, vigilantism, murder, and supernatural revenge.
***SPOILERS*** Much like the story & movie "Of Mice and Men" in this case it's the simple minded but sweet Bubba Ritter, Larry Drake, who tries to keep his 9 year old friend & playmate Mary-Lee, Tonya Crowe, from going into the Raincross family's backyard who's then savagely attacked and mauled by their dog BoBo and left for dead.
The trouble for Otis & friends is that it turns out that Bubba in fact saved little Mary-Lee's life and she fully recovered, after receiving a set of rabies shots, from BoBo's vicious attack.Found innocent in Bubba's death by Otis planting a pitchfork on his dead body to proved he was shot, 21 times no less, in self defense it's Bubba's grieving mom Mrs. Ritter, Jocelyn Brando, who predicts that her son's killers will end up getting theirs saying "Theirs other justice in the world besides the law".
Dark Night of the Scarecrow is an effective, eerie even slightly camp television film made for Halloween but seriously put some Horror films made for cinema to shame.Mentally challenged Bubba (Larry Drake) happily plays with a ten year old girl Marylee (Tonya Crowe.) When she goes missing, a group of four local red-necks egged on by postman Otis Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) assumed that Bubba attacked her and go looking for him.Bubba hides by dressing himself up as a scarecrow in a field, but the the group shoot him dead in a hail of bullets.It turns out Marylee is alive and well and that Bubba was innocent.
Hazelrigg (Durning) and his fellows did something they really should have not done - covering up their act - which leads to the "scarecrow".Good film for the Halloween season and a late night flick.
Since it is a television film, the violence is obviously minimized, but the implications during each of these payback scenes are grim, and mostly revolve around farm machinery— ouch.Charles Durning's turn as the reprehensible small town postman and cold-blooded bigot is effective in that his character is truly reprehensible, and Jocelyn Brando (yep, Marlon's sister), is wonderful as the spiteful mother of Bubba.
Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981) *** (out of 4) Very effective made-for-TV movie has four locals killing an innocent man who they thought killed a child.
i remember on summer of 91 i turned on the TV and saw this movie.i wanted to see if they where bad guys in it and i was pleased to find four in it.i knew that Charles was the main villain from the start as he spied on bub and the girl.and when the bad guys shot him in the scarecrow i was waiting to see what happened.i didn't know it was a revenge for murder type movie.one scene is where one of the men falls in a grinder.the second one suffocates in a silo of grain and the third gets hit in the head by a shovel by Charles and of course Charles.with the pitch fork.i never did wanted to see this movie for a while after i saw it because the scene when Charles attacks his mother in the house..
Since it came out in 1981 I think I've seen it once a year since then on tv.Why not?You don't see such a good horror film like this every day.An effective sort of EC comics-style revenge story.Plus we get all the great stuff about horror movies-suspenseful,creepy ambience.This is just cool..
A group of bigoted locals wrongly blame gentle man-child Bubba (Larry Drake) for the death of a young girl and hunt the frightened dolt down, eventually finding him disguised as a scarecrow in his mother's field.
TV movie Dark Night of the Scarecrow, directed by novelist Frank De Felitta, attempts to prove to the boob tube masses that a creepy straw man can be just as terrifying as a grease-painted killer, but fails to do so: the limitations of the small screen format means that there is zero gore, and the film delivers very few genuine frights simply because the victims are all thoroughly deserving of their fates (it's hard to be scared when you're rooting for the scarecrow).It's a shame because the cast is good (Charles Durning is delightfully loathsome as mailman Otis, leader of the lynch mob, who, it is implied, is also a pedo) and De Felitta displays some not inconsiderable skill behind the camera..
A little girl no older then 10 befriends a mentally challenged 35 year old man named Bubba(beautifully played by Larry Drake who had the same touch as Benny in L.A. Law).
Hazelrigg (a marvelously hateful portrayal by Charles Durning) track down and kill gentle giant simpleton Bubba (an excellent and sympathetic performance by Larry Drake), who's been wrongfully accused of brutalizing sweet little girl Marylee Williams (appealingly played by Tonya Crowe).
Dark Night of the Scarecrow may be over 25 years old,but it still stands the test of time as a horror film.The plot is is as follows:Larry Drake plays a man named Buuba Ritter who is a mentally challenged but harmless man who is unjustly accused of attacking a young girl,and is hunted down and killed by a small vigilante posse.as it turns out,Bubba had actually saved the girl from being seriously injured or killed by a dog.the men realize their mistake and vow to take the secret(killing Buuba)to their graves.
"Dark Night of the Scarecrow" is easily one of the creepiest made for TV horror films ever made.A mildly retarded Bubba is accused by four rednecks of tragically hurting a little girl.Bubba is innocent,but they go after him anyway.He hides inside a scarecrow outfit in a middle of a field,and the four inbreds shoot him dead.Soon Otis and his friends will have to deal with living vengeance as Bubba comes back from the grave.Larry Drake("Dr.Giggles")is quite convincing as as a mildly retarded Bubba Ritter and Charles Durning is also excellent as the local mailman Otis."Dark Night of the Scarecrow" contains almost no gore,but the atmosphere is truly eerie and dark.The film has a simple plot,good acting and plenty of suspense.So if you liked this one be sure to watch also "Scarecrows" and "Night of the Scarecrow".9 out of 10..
But I think the overall best performance goes to Charles Durning who truly is the real monster of the movie and actually kills more people than the scarecrow!
Dark Night of the Scarecrow starts as the mentally child like 36 year old man Bubba Ritter (Larry Drake) plays with his best friend, a young girl named Marylee Williams (Tonya Crowe) whom are inseparable.
The acting is very strong, Charles Durning is great in a role that was originally intended for Strother Martin before he died while the rest of the cast are also excellent here.Dark Night of the Scarecrow is a really good, solid horror thriller that is is worth watching but I would stop just short of calling it an absolute classic. |
tt0080057 | Zombi 2 | A man fires a bullet into the head of a body wrapped in a sheet. He says to an off screen person, "The boat can leave now. Tell the crew."Several days later, an apparently abandoned sailboat sails into New York harbor. Two officers of the harbor patrol board the boat to investigate and find the living quarters in squalor and disarray. They are suddenly attacked by a rotting, bloated zombie (Captain Haggerty) which bursts from the hold, gorily killing one officer by biting his throat out, before being shot and propelled overboard by the second officer.A local reporter named Peter West (Ian McCulloch) is assigned by his hard-nosed editor (director Lucio Fulci) to the case. That evening he meets up with Anne Bowles (Tisa Farrow) the daughter of the boat's missing owner. Anne has informed the police that she has not seen her father for the past three months since he traveled to the Antilles. Meanwhile at the morgue, the pathologist and his assistant are preparing to perform an autopsy on the dead police officer, when unknown to them, the dead body begins stirring...The next morning, Peter and Anne fly to the Dominican Republic and meet an American tourist couple named Brian Hull (Al Cliver) and Susan Barrett (Auretta Gay) who are about to embark on a sailing tour of the Caribbean. Peter and Anne ask them to help them get to the island of Matul, where Anne's father was last heard from. Despite Brian's claim about warnings from the superstitious locals about Matul, the four of them agree to set off together for the island.On Matul, tensions between Dr. David Menard (Richard Johnson) and his contemptuous, highly strung-out wife Paola (Olga Karlatos) are running high. She wants to leave island, terrified about reports of zombie attacks. He insists on staying to conduct research into the phenomenon, despite the fact that his medical mission is falling apart. Leaving her alone to drink her fears away at their isolated beach house, Menard drives in his jeep to his hospital, which is a ramshackle converted church buzzing with flies. Menard's superstitious Haitian assistant Lucas (Dakar) insists that they leave, for all of the villagers of the nearby town are fleeing in fear of the rising of the dead. Menard scoffs at all this.At sea, Susan goes on a scuba dive where she gets attacked, first by a shark, then by a strange aquatic zombie. Susan gets away, leaving the zombie to fight against the shark.That evening, Paola Menard is alone in the house where she takes a shower to cool off in the hot and humid weather, when she hears a noise. Investigating, she is attacked by a marauding cadaver (unseen except for a rotting, outstretched hand). As she struggles to barricade herself into her bedroom, the zombie smashes its arm through the door and grabs her by her hair. Her head is slowly pulled onto the shattered doorframe, and she dies a horrible death as her right eye is impaled on a spike of slatted wood as she's pulled out the door.The next morning, Anne, Peter, Brian, and Susan arrive off the coast of Matul where they find out that their boat has been damaged by the shark attack. They anchor in a bay off the island and send up distress flares. Menard answers their distress call as Luca and Menard's personal nurse (Stefania D'Amario) bury more dead bodies, victims of a mysterious virus that's killing the islands residents and resurrecting them as zombies. The survivors are forced to shoot each corpse in the head to prevent them from reviving before burying them. On the drive back to the hospital, Menard tells his four visitors that Anne's father (Ugo Bologna) died three months earlier from the strange disease plaguing the island. Menard also tells the disbelieving visitors that the zombie epidemic, so far on the other side of the island, is blamed by the locals on the voodoo curses of a evil witch doctor. When they arrive at the hospital, Menard's nurse informs him that a friend has been taken ill. Menard then asks Peter, Anne, Brian, and Susan to drive over his house and check on the safety of his wife. Menard looks at his friend, Fritz, who claims he was bitten by a zombie in the village. Menard orders Lucas to lock all the doors and windows, now aware that the zombies are approaching this end of the island.Meanwhile, Peter, Anne, Brian, and Susan arrive without incident at the Menard cottage and upon entering they make a horrific discovery. The dead body of Mrs. Menard is sprawled out outside the bedroom door, half-eaten, surrounded by a small group of zombies who are gorging on her remains. Revolted, they fight their way past a group of slow-moving, staggering zombies and drive back to the hospital. But on the road, a zombie wonders into their path, and the jeep is damaged as they swerve into the dense tropical undergrowth. Peter's left ankle is broken upon the impact, but the group decide they must make it back to the hospital.A little later, the group stops for a rest in a small jungle clearing which they see is an old cemetery for the Spanish Conquistadors. As Peter and Anne lie down on the ground for a rest, the buried Conquistadors emerge from the soil. One of them grabs Anne by her hair while another grabs Peter by his broken ankle. The two of them break free, but Susan is not so lucky. Frozen in terror by the sight of a large, worm-faced cadaver (Ottaviano Dell'Acqua), she dies as it bites her throat out before it's dispatched by Peter and Brian, who bash the creature's head in. The three survivors are now obliged to make the journey back to the hospital as the living dead erupt from their tombs all over the island, as well as stalk the deserted shanty village nearby.At nightfall, Anne, Peter, and Brian finally arrive back at the hospital. Dr. Menard tends to Peter's broken ankle, while Brian helps Lucas and the nurse barricade the doors and windows. Menard is informed to his wife's fate, but does not comment on it. Instead, he raves about his failed efforts to find a scientific explanation for the walking dead and their instinct to feed on human flesh. Suddenly, a large group of the tottering, implacable creatures try to batter down the boarded up front door. Menard and the group begin to construct barricades as well as make Molotov cocktails from the kerosene tanks. However, the hospital's sick patients are dying and coming back as zombies, making the hospital under attack from inside and out. Menard is the first to go when he gets his face ripped off by the zombie Fritz, before it's killed by Brian with a gunshot to the head, the only way of killing the reanimated zombies. Lucas is next when he gets part of his arm bitten off by another zombie. The nurse is then killed by the zombie Lucas, who then attacks Anne but gets shot dead by Peter. The mob of zombies finally breaks down the front door, and a climactic battle between the three survivors and the foul creatures begins, with fire apparently the only effective weapon against the slow moving, walking stiffs. With the hospital now on fire from the exploding Molotov cocktails, Anne, Peter, and Brian are forced to flee from the burning building out the back door. But outside, Brian comes face to face with the walking corpse of the resurrected Susan. He succumbs to emotion and gets badly bitten on his arm as a result. The zombie Susan is immediately shot and killed by Peter, and the trio run for the beach with some zombies not far behind.As dawn breaks, the gerry-rigged boat limps back out to sea. Brian sinks into unconsciousness, terminally sick from the zombie bite, and soon dies. Peter and Anne lock the dead Brian up in the boat's cabin, for Peter wants the dead Brian as proof to the authorities that the whole experience happened. Turning on the radio, Peter and Anne listen in disbelief as a radio announcer explains about a zombie epidemic gripping New York City apparently brought on the by zombie from the opening scene. Down in the cabin, Brian's re-animated corpse frantically tries to get out of the hold it is locked up in.In New York City, a long line of freshly dead zombies are seen, slowly marching across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan. | cruelty, murder, violence, cult, horror, atmospheric, suspenseful, sadist | train | imdb | null |
tt0100258 | Night of the Living Dead | Barbra (Judith O'Dea) and Johnny Blair (Russell Streiner) drive to rural Pennsylvania for an annual visit to their father's grave. Barbra is attacked by a strange man (Bill Hinzman) walking in the cemetery. Johnny tries to rescue his sister, but the man throws him against a gravestone; Johnny strikes his head on the stone and is killed. After a mishap with the car, Barbra escapes on foot, with the stranger in pursuit, and later arrives at a farmhouse, where she discovers a woman's mangled corpse. Fleeing from the house, she is confronted by strange menacing figures like the man in the graveyard. Ben (Duane Jones) takes her into the house, driving the "monsters" away and sealing the doors and windows. Throughout the night, Barbra slowly descends into a stupor of shock and insanity.
Ben and Barbra are unaware that the farmhouse has a cellar, housing an angry married couple Harry (Karl Hardman) and Helen Cooper (Marilyn Eastman), along with their daughter Karen (Kyra Schon). They sought refuge after a group of the same monsters overturned their car. Tom (Keith Wayne) and Judy (Judith Ridley), a teenage couple, arrived after hearing an emergency broadcast about a series of brutal murders. Karen has fallen seriously ill after being bitten by one of the monsters. They ventured upstairs when Ben turns on a radio, while Barbra awakens from her stupor. Harry demands that everyone hide in the cellar, but Ben deems it a "deathtrap" and continues upstairs, to barricade the house with Tom's help.
Radio reports explain that a wave of mass murder is sweeping across the eastern United States. Ben finds a television, and they watch an emergency broadcaster (Charles Craig) report that the recently deceased have become reanimated and are consuming the flesh of the living. Experts, scientists, and the United States military fail to discover the cause, though one scientist suspects radioactive contamination from a space probe. It returned from Venus, and was deliberately exploded in the Earth's atmosphere when the radiation was detected.
Ben plans to obtain medical care for Karen when the reports listed local rescue centers offering refuge and safety. Ben and Tom refuel Ben's truck while Harry hurls molotov cocktails from an upper window at the ghouls. Judy follows him, fearing Tom's safety. Tom accidentally spills gasoline on the truck setting it ablaze. Tom and Judy try to drive the truck away from the pump, but Judy is unable to free herself from its door, and the truck explodes, killing them both; the zombies promptly eat the charred remains.
Ben returns to the house, but is locked out by Harry. Eventually forcing his way back in, Ben beats Harry, angered by his cowardice, while the zombies feed on the remains of Tom and Judy. A news report reveals that, only a gunshot or heavy blow to the head can stop them, aside from setting the "reactivated bodies" on fire. It also reported that posses of armed men are patrolling the countryside to restore order.
The lights go out, and the zombies break through the barricades. Harry grabs Ben's rifle and threatens to shoot him. In the chaos the two fight and Ben manages to wrestle the gun away and shoots Harry. Harry stumbles into the cellar and collapses next to Karen, mortally wounded. She has also died from her illness. The ghouls try to pull Helen and Barbra through the windows, but Helen frees herself. She returns to the refuge of the cellar to see Karen is reanimated and eating Harry's corpse. Helen is frozen in shock, and Karen stabs her to death with a masonry trowel. Barbra, seeing Johnny among the zombies, is carried away by the horde and devoured. As the zombies overrun the house, Ben seals himself inside the cellar, where Harry and Helen are reanimating, and he is forced to shoot them.
Ben is awakened by the posse's gunfire outside the next morning. He ventures upstairs; the posse spot him through the window and mistake him for one of the ghouls, shooting him through the forehead. Ben's body is thrown into a pile of bodies, laid next to the original zombie from the cemetery and they are all lit on fire. | suspenseful, cult, horror, violence | train | wikipedia | Wanting to re-visit the genre he created, George Romero approached Tom Savini to direct a remake of his 1968 masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead.While the film follows the original closely, it does have some important changes.
Other changes help blend the film much better into Romeros Dawn and Day. The use of tools by the zombies for example, is lessened and removed at times, creating more continuity between Night, Dawn, Day and Lands time-line of the undeads abilities.Some seem to automatically shoot down the remake in favor of the original, I've watched this version almost as many times as Dawn and Day, and believe the film tops the original in almost every way.
Perhaps there would have been a bit more tension if it had been filmed in black and white but it was very tense throughout.The ending is also different as well but good nonetheless.If you liked the original, then I recommend this version as well..
Romero turns over his classic horror film to be remade, and it's in the hands of Tom Savini (who did brilliant makeup for Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead).
More style is added, to be sure, but Savini and Romero (who scripted this one) could've gone farther.With that said, Night of the Living Dead (1990) was an enjoyable horror flick experience, one where it's a good time with color and gore and all (plus more full frontal zombie nudity) and as long as you don't think too deeply about what you are watching (and certainly don't try to compare the 1968 and 1990 versions together), you'll have fun.
The main difference in this version, apart from obvious ones like being filmed in colour and with some more sophisticated special effects, is the expansion of the Barbara character, who is much less passive and more important to the plot.
They have to fight the dead from getting in...and each other.There was no reason (that I can see) to remake the 1968 classic "Night..." but George Romero (director and co-writer of the original) wanted it.
Make-up maestro Tom Savini's color remake of Romero's 1968 classic follows the original almost shot-by-shot,but it's of course not better film.This remake was clearly made for younger viewers who refuse to watch black-and-white films,no matter how good they may be.The result is passable,but it lacks dark atmosphere and mood of the original.If this version has anything to offer,it is Patricia Tallman("Army of Darkness")in an engaging lead performance as a tough,independent heroine.This is only my opinion,but I'm really fed up with "strong female lead" concept that every new horror film seems to have.The next thing I dislike in this picture is the lack of gore.For God's sake this film was directed by gore wizard Tom Savini-the man behind such hard-core splatter flicks like "Maniac","Nightmare" or "The Prowler".The violence is very tame-even by today's standards.However the acting isn't bad,the zombies are pretty scary and the film is never boring.Recommended for horror buffs all around the world..
Night Of The Living Dead is a terrific and memorable remake that combines great direction,a wonderful cast,a good score and great special make-up effects.
And while the Night Of The Living Dead remake isn't a good as the original it is a well-done and worthy remake of the original classic from Tom Savini and George A.
Romero.Set in Pennsylvania,Night Of The Living Dead tells the story of a group of strangers including Ben(Tony Todd),Barbara(Patricia Tallman),Harry Cooper(Tom Towles)and his wife Helen(McKee Anderson)Tom(William Butler)and his girlfriend Judy Rose(Katie Finnerman)who are holed up in a farmhouse and have to fight off Zombies who want to eat their flesh.Night Of The Living Dead(or Night Of The Living Dead 90)is a wonderful Horror remake that was the directorial debut of Special Effects master Tom Savini and with a screenplay by George A.
Remaking a classic landmark film like Night Of The Living Dead(1968)is no easy task but I think Savini,Romero and company have made a film that is one of the better Zombie films and remakes around.
One of the reasons Night Of The Living Dead 90 is a great remake and Zombie movie is that while it's the same story as the original with the same setting,characters and some of the dialog but is updated and works not only as a remake of the original film but as an homage as well.
This film doesn't have a lot of the social commentary like the first film or any of Romero's other Zombie films(like Dawn Of The Dead in 1978 or in Day OfThe Dead in 1985)it does tackles that same themes as the original such as tension among the human characters and pulling in different directions showing how things fall apart in drastic situations which will always be relevant.
Where as Barbara in the original and was pretty weak and was always screaming,the Barbara in this film is strong and tough always shooting and fighting the zombies and holding her own when things start to fall apart which almost like Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise.
The Zombies are still the slow walking dead creatures they were in the original film coming from every corner and wanting to feast on the living and attack in packs.
Great effects.In final word,if you love Zombie films or Horror films in general,I highly suggest you see Night Of The Living Dead 90,a terrific and memorable remake that's not as good as the original but still an entertaining Zombie movie.
A woman (Patricia Tallman ,she had known Tom Savini since they went to college together, he chose to cast her because of her strong-willed demeanor) along with an African-American named Ben (Tony Todd, Laurence Fishburne and Eriq La Salle both auditioned for the role of Ben ; Ving Rhames was also considered) escape the frightening zombies to take refuge at a house .
If anything, I think that Barbara is something of a feminist icon in a movie genre that's severely lacking in pro-feminist characters.While Tallman does a fantastic job, the "Candyman" himself Tony Todd totally steals the show as Ben, a man very much thrown into a leadership position that he admittedly might not be 100% ready for.
William Butler, Katie Finneran and Tom Towles turn in fine performances as well, though admittedly Towles's character Harry was a bit of a one-dimensional whiner."Night of the Living Dead '90" is a movie that is just DRIPPING in atmosphere.
Whether you've seen every zombie movie, played every game and read every book or you're an outsider to the genre like me, I highly recommend you check this wonderful remake out..
That is unless you are a die-hard fan in which case you'd probably gain nothing from the experience.There's nothing that I can throw at this movie, it doesn't reflect badly on the original, nor is it a bad film in its own right.I just don't get why it was remade, we know and love (maybe loathe) these characters already, do we need another clutch of actors to repeat the performance like a dodgy kebab?
It is fair to say that, in zombie movie terms, the original 'Night of the Living Dead' was a classic.
Makeup FX master Tom Savini took the role of director for this entertaining remake of George Romero's zombie classic.Strangers must battle armies of zombies when they become isolated in a rural farmhouse.While this remake rather wisely sticks to the basics of the original film, it does differ at some points.
Supporting cast McKee Anderson, William Butler, and Bill Moseley are also effective.While no horror film will probably ever live up to Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead (1968), this remake certainly doesn't try to.
Produced by the late, great original "Night of the Living Dead" director George Romero, and directed by special effects guru and constant Romero collaborator Tom Savini, it follows the same basic plot of the original film, but also adds a few new things in the mix as well.If you saw the original film, you know the plot: Barbara and her prankster brother Johnnie are at the cemetery to lay flowers on their mother's grave when Johnnie, sensing Barbara's fear and unease concerning graveyards, taunts her with the infamous phrase, "They're coming to get you, Barbara." Little does he know, he's about to proved correct when the living dead attack.
Unfortunately, this particular remake suffers from two blights upon late-eighties/ early-nineties movie making 1) The need for a happy ending and 2) the need for political correctness.The original Night of the Living Dead was fascinating because it had at least one person we could identify with no matter who we were, and in many cases we could identify with the entire cast because each represented a part of ourselves.
In the remake, Tom Savini does a fine job with the director's chair and the film benefits hugely from two very strong performances from Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman.
As much as re-makes usually aren't sitting well with me, then I just had to take a chance on watching this 1990 re-make of the 1968 movie that just revolutionized the entire horror genre and sparked the zombie sub-genre; "Night of the Living Dead".
Personally I think it was a shame that Bill Moseley (playing Johnnie) didn't have a bigger part in the movie, because he really is an iconic actor in the horror genre."Night of the Living Dead" does have some great special effects, and why wouldn't it have with director Tom Savini also being a masterful special effects man himself.
this movie is a direct remake of the original Night of the Living Dead, but if you're going to breathe new life into a series, don't make it EXACTLY like the original, I would have been more satisfied if they had just released the original in colour.
Tom Savini tries too hard to make this like a 50's and 60's horror flick...including the over acting from the cast.but, my opinion might be a bit biased, because I personally am a fan of remakes that just take the principal plot and make it a different way much like the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.I say, watch this one but keep an open mind that it is a direct remake of a 60's horror film in every way possible.
Loving zombie good films i hate so much this stuff, i don't know how Romero was involved in this or why Savini went into directing.
A total senseless action and ending, losing all the good things from the original, they spent half of the film putting light nails on the windows like crazy, oh god i better stop here.These are the films that dishonor zombie genre.
I mean, I could go along with this if the remake had actually been a respectable piece of work; the original Night of the Living Dead is one of the finest horror films ever made, and quite simply THE uncontested best zombie flick.
Night of the Living Dead (1990) is the remake of the 1968 black and white horror by George Romero.
This movie is a classic zombie horror, it's great and there are a lot of thrills throughout.If I have to knock it at all, the acting could be a bit better.
There are no big names in this movie but for what it is, being a fun zombie movie, it is good enough.Also I would say that the movie is a little bit too much like a copy of the original grandfather of all zombie movies "Night of the Living Dead".
It can't possibly be better than that so if you want to remake the movie at least make it different, add more twists or different settings etc.At the end of the day this is a fantastic movie that you can still enjoy today, some great cheesy special effects and gore, and lots of fun zombie deaths!.
I like zombie movies in general and so was curious to see a remake of the seminal film that ignited the genre.
I not only find this to be one of the finest horror movies of all time but I believe this version is superior in almost every way to the original.Night of the Living Dead follows the same storyline as the first one.
she doesn't talk much after her traumatic experience in the cemetery in the opening scene, so i headcanon her as an autistic heroine with selective mutism Harry Cooper, the drunken wife beater who hides his family in the cellar, becomes the more irritating character, largely due to poor acting on Tom Towles's part: the escalating tension between Cooper and Ben that was a driving facet of the plot in the original film just isn't very effective here there are some memorable scenes and zombie designs; the altered ending is far less impactful than in the original, but satisfying nonetheless.
The original creators of the seminal Night of the Living Dead (1968) reconvene 22 years later to, well, make some money!It was a compromised production, with director Tom Savini announcing that the finished cut is not half the film he set out to make.
i just watched night of the living dead on scream channel.suffice to say,i wasn't very impressed.there was zero tension in the whole movie.i was too bored to care about the characters.and what's with that ending?it seems like it was tacked on,when they couldn't think of any other way to end it.it was just over.there was no logic behind it.another failure i thought was the so called makeup effects, which did not look at all real.and if you watch carefully some of the actors playing zombies were not always in character,that is they didn't act like zombies.i can't compare it to the original,which i haven't seen,but i will say it doesn't compare with the 2005 version of dawn of the dead,or even 2006's land of the dead.if i could describe this movie in one word,it would be-- underwhelming 2.5*.
Thinking that they might have more hope but one of the survivors in the house finds out that these strange people are actually the living dead coming back to life and attacking (and eating) the living.This film is a scene for scene remake of the Disturbing Original until near the end.
The ending of Savini's version perfectly recaptures the opening shots of the original Dawn of the Dead, complete with ignorant, beer drinking yahoos in plaid flannel making sport of the zombies in some of the films most upsetting scenes.
Not so with 1990's "Night of the Living Dead." In fact, this could very well be the last Hollywood remake that was done right.Tom Savini's directorial debut is solid as he takes what many feel is an untouchable classic and actually improves upon it.
To start off, I have never seen the original 1968 Night Of the Living Dead, but I love this movie!
Romero's sake, who else would be better off directing his film masterpiece, Night of the Living Dead, over his right hand, special effects man, Tom Savini.
I would recommend to watch it if you are really boring and don't have anything better to do.I didn't like the plot, the characters and the performances.The plot of the movie is about a woman (Barbara) who goes tho visit her dead mother to the cemetery in the country, and there she is going to be attacked by zombies, she get to run away and find a house where she meets a group of people.
Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman give the most memorable performances of their respective careers and Romero and Savini come through like a horrorcane and deliver the greatest horror film ever conceived.With today being Halloween, this is my pick for a great creepy movie to watch on this Day of the Dead 2005..
Whereas Zack Snyder's recent remake of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead utilised only the bare bones of the original's script, Tom Savini's 90s version of Romero's Night of the Living Dead took far fewer liberties with its plot, opening almost exactly like the '68 horror classicwith a brother and sister being attacked by the undead in a rural graveyardand rarely straying from the original for the rest of its duration (bar a few subtle tweaks to keep things interesting).However, although the film will undoubtedly feel extremely familiar to fans of the 'Dead' series, there is still much to enjoy about Savini's effort, and it is highly recommended viewing nonetheless.Patricia Tallman plays Barbara, a young woman who seeks refuge in a farmhouse after the dead begin returning to life to devour the living.
The original Night of the Living Dead is a classic horror film.
What is at once satisfying and disappointing about Tom Savini's 1990 redux of George Romero's penultimate horror film "Night of the Living Dead" is that it's a well-done B movie that retains the same western-Pennsylvania atmosphere of its predecessor.
George Romero's original "Night Of The Living Dead" is among the all time horror classics.
2 Blueprints for Tom. Tom Savini's first real film as Director, the "re-make" of the 1968 classic horror film, Night of the Living Dead, was an interesting and good movie with its moments.
Night of the Living Dead might be a remake, but this is the definitely the best and my all-time favourite zombie movie ever made.
tom savini directed remake of a classic romero film *possible spoilers*.
I've tried finding good zombie movies, and very few have turned out to be worthwhile, like Diary of the dead was pretty good when I first seen it, a second viewing would prove otherwise.This one is just great, I have yet to see a better zombie film, and maybe I should watch the original, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.Simply Savini needs to direct more.
Originally Savini worked on Dawn of the Dead and other films directed by zombie godfather George. |
tt0086879 | Amadeus | The story begins in 1823 as the elderly Salieri attempts suicide by slitting his throat while loudly begging forgiveness for having killed Mozart in 1791. Placed in a lunatic asylum for the act, Salieri is visited by a young priest who seeks to take his confession. Salieri is sullen and uninterested but eventually warms to the priest and launches into a long "confession" about his relationship with Mozart.Salieri's tale goes on through the night and into the next day. He reminisces about his youth, particularly about his devotion to God and his love for music and how he pledges to God to remain celibate as a sacrifice if he can somehow devote his life to music. He describes how his father's plans for him were to go into commerce, but suggests that the sudden death of his father, who choked to death during a meal, was "a miracle" that allowed him to pursue a career in music. In his narrative, he is suddenly an adult joining the 18th century cultural elite in Vienna, the "city of musicians." Salieri begins his career as a devout, God-fearing man who believes his success and talent as a composer are Gods rewards for his piety. He is content as the court composer for Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.Mozart arrives in Vienna with his patron, Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. Salieri secretly observes Mozart at the Archbishop's palace, but they are not properly introduced. Salieri sees that offstage, Mozart is irreverent and lewd. He also first recognizes the immense talent displayed in the adult works of Mozart. In 1781, when Mozart meets the Emperor, Salieri presents Mozart with a "March of Welcome," which he toiled to create. After hearing the march only once, Mozart plays it from memory, critiques it, and effortlessly improvises a variation, transforming Salieri's "trifle" into the "Non più andrai" march from his 1786 opera The Marriage of Figaro.Salieri reels at the notion of God speaking through the childish, petulant Mozart: nevertheless, he regards his music as miraculous. Gradually, Salieris faith is shaken. He believes that God, through Mozart's genius, is cruelly laughing at Salieri's own musical mediocrity. Salieri's struggles with God are intercut with scenes showing Mozart's own trials and tribulations with life in Vienna: pride at the initial reception of his music; anger and disbelief over his subsequent treatment by the Italians of the Emperor's court; happiness with his wife Constanze and his son Karl; and grief at the death of his father Leopold. Mozart becomes more desperate as the family's expenses increase and his commissions decrease. When Salieri learns of Mozart's financial straits, he sees his chance to avenge himself, using "God's Beloved" (the literal meaning of "Amadeus") as the instrument.Salieri hatches a complex plot to gain ultimate victory over Mozart and God. He disguises himself in a mask and costume similar to one he saw Leopold wear at a party, and commissions Mozart to write a requiem mass, giving him a down payment and the promise of an enormous sum upon completion. Mozart begins to write the piece, the Requiem Mass in D minor, unaware of the true identity of his mysterious patron and oblivious of his murderous intentions. Glossing over any details of how he might commit the murder, Salieri dwells on the anticipation of the admiration of his peers and the court, when they applaud the magnificent Requiem, and he claims to be the music's composer. Only Salieri and God would know the truththat Mozart wrote his own requiem mass, and that God could only watch while Salieri finally receives the fame and renown he deserves.Mozart's financial situation worsens and the composing demands of the Requiem and The Magic Flute drive him to the point of exhaustion as he alternates work between the two pieces. Constanze leaves him and takes their son with her. His health worsens and he collapses during the premiere performance of The Magic Flute. Salieri takes the stricken Mozart home and convinces him to work on the Requiem. Mozart dictates while Salieri transcribes throughout the night. When Constanze returns in the morning, she tells Salieri to leave. Constanze locks the manuscript away despite Salieri's objections, but as she goes to wake her husband, Mozart is dead. The Requiem is left unfinished, and Salieri is left powerless as Mozart's body is hauled out of Vienna for burial in a pauper's mass grave.The film ends as Salieri finishes recounting his story to the visibly shaken young priest. Salieri concludes that God killed Mozart rather than allow Salieri to share in even an ounce of his glory, and that he is consigned to be the "patron saint of mediocrity." Salieri absolves the priest of his own mediocrity and blesses his fellow patients as he is taken away in his wheelchair. The last sound heard before the credits roll is Mozart's high-pitched laughter. | murder, dramatic, flashback, humor, tragedy, historical, sentimental | train | imdb | So, the rumor that Salieri killed Mozart has been around for almost a couple of centuries though we all know there isn't an iota of veracity in it.That being said, Peter Shaffer's movie adaptation of his own play is still an astounding achievement.
Shaffer clearly understands the difference between stage and film; the story is more elaborate in the movie, and some of the lengthy lines are replaced with more subtle images and close-ups.I'm often surprised to find that people don't get that Amadeus is the story of the fictionalized character, Antonio Salieri, not the real one, who adored Mozart's music but hated everything else about him.
It becomes obvious as we watch that this movie is called Amadeus because that's what Salieri wished to be--God's beloved.The movie might give some viewers who don't know much about Mozart a wrong impression that he was a cad, and it gives incorrect information on some of his music (e.g.; the count in The Marriage of Figaro sings "Contessa perdono" AFTER he learns that the woman dressed in the maid's clothes is his own wife.
The film is complete with an insightful script (courtesy of Mr. Shaffer), magnificent acting, wondrous sets and costume designs, incredible choreography (thanks to Twyla Tharp), and, above all, the glorious music of Mozart himself.The movie of Salieri's life, through which Mozart played an integral part, is told in flashback mode, beginning in around the year 1822.
Salieri's heart filled with such rage, such hatred and such jealousy, that he had vowed to himself to make God an enemy and to kill the young Mozart.As the movie moves along, carrying with it a deep sadness of the human condition, it also celebrates life by giving the audience joyous music, wonderful atmosphere and a general appreciation of humanity for not only eighteenth century Europe, but in any age where music speaks for our emotions.The movie won eight Academy Awards in March of 1985.
Murray Abraham won the best actor statuette; citing probably the only time when Salieri beat out Mozart in anything.The movie itself was shot in Prague where Milos Forman said "(It) is a gem because it's possible to pivot the camera a full three hundred and sixty degrees and never encounter a modern vision." Very few new sets had to be built, as the scenes and buildings they found were quite often apropos to their needs.Amadeus works well on virtually every cinematic plane that exists.
Without his music, Mozart would be lost in time, a fate that the narrator of the story, the composer Salieri, saw as his own.
Only in the final scenes is Mozart's brilliance as a composer truly explored in what amounts to a deconstruction of his final composition - his moving, uncompleted and poignant Requiem mass.Another unintended star in this film are the candle lit sets and theatres of the 18th Century; their operas and drama ooze a magic that is lacking in the present world and which modern producers might well try to reintroduce; so lovely are these buildings with their flickering lights and theatrical techniques that one is left desperate to to seek out these rare theatres to experience them.This film leaves one breathless from its visual beauty, its magnificent score and the choreography, indeed, of the two together.
The film deals with the last few months of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's (Oscar-nominee Tom Hulce) life, told in flashbacks by an old, washed-up musician named Antonio Salieri (Oscar-winner F.
Mozart was, of course, deeper than the character shown in the movie, but no personal life could equal the extent and depth of the musical genius that flowed from this little man.
The sublime, almost over-human performance by Frank Murray Abraham (the Mozart enemy and secret admirer, Salieri) is one of the keys for the movie success, mostly to it's depth.
I fell in love with it.Based on the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, played a terrific and hilarious performance by Tom Hulce.
Congrats to Amaudeus for bringing the beauty of classical music into out living rooms.The story is that we start off with an older and more suicidal Salieri who blames himself for Mozart's death.
Just great and a perfectly played out performance by Abraham and Frank.Tom Hulce gives Mozart this crazy and annoying yet nevertheless funny laugh that you can't help but laugh at it every time he does it.
F. Murray Abraham portrays Salieri, a hard working but mediocre composer driven mad by the arrival of a ``natural'' talent, Mozart (played by Tom Hulce) in a highly political environment.
"Amadeus" was a simply remarkable movie which engages in a comprehensive biography of one of the most masterful composers of classical music in the whole history of all creation, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
I went to see it multiple times back in 1984 during its initial release, back when the theater was empty whenever it played and before it was nominated by the Academy.This film is an unusual biography, and I often like to compare it with Ed Wood, since both Ed Wood and Salieri were men who gave everything they had to their respective crafts and came up short.
Murray Abraham as Salieri is flawless, Tom Hulce gives a fleshed-out portrait of Mozart's brilliance and his (according to the film) frivolous personality, and Elizabeth Berridge and the other principal actors put in solid performances too.
Here's a film that makes ancient history seem like yesterday, using the same trick employed by all classic films - solid characterization.It's a shame that so many of these actors never did much else, but maybe that's a blessing in disguise because it allows them to embody their characters without other movie associations getting in the audience's way.I was worried that the extended edition would hurt the film's pacing (most extended editions are a bad idea - the material was cut for a reason!).
It's the movie I compare all others to, including classics like "The Godfather," "Citizen Kane," and "Schindler's List.""Amadeus" has it all - excellent acting, excellent cinematography, excellent costume design, excellent music production, excellent set design, perfect combination of comedy and tragedy, and tons and tons of classic, memorable lines, especially those delivered by Salieri.
The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 18th Century Vienna , told by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum .
I know that "Amadeus" the movie is not exactly his biography, and his relationship with Antonio Salieri, with his father Leopold, with his wife Constanze Weber, with the Emperor Joseph II and with the court musicians in Vienna of 18th century, might not have been exactly like it was shown in the movie, and Mozart himself might not have laughed as Hulce did but I LOVE the movie.
Having read many materials about Mozart and his time, and having listened to the music from his epoch, I have a respect for Salieri and his music which is quite charming.Amadeus - beloved of Gods and taken by them too early because those whom they love die young..
Good Will Hunting managed to make maths exciting, but Amadeus was given the most moving medium of all, Music, by one of the most incredible musicians who ever lived, and they made it more boring than dry paint that's been dry for a very long time.For such a critically acclaimed film I was expecting certain things.
As far as the other acting is concerned the mixture of accents from Shakespearean English to Italian, German and inevitably American never related to the actual nationality of the character was enough for me to hate every performance, if I hear Elizabeth Berridge say Volfey in a German\American accent once more I consider suing for mental aggravation.You want good classical music with a complex story and impressive cinematography then watch 2001 A Space Odyssey.
If you prefer your musical period drama documentaries full of irritating actors, pretty costumes, tedious storylines and bits of opera then do watch this, and if you would prefer to while away your time for three mind numbingly boring hours then check out the directors cut.
I understand a film about grand-scale music and opera's needs to have a unique identity, but I found Tom Hulce's eccentric title role-performance to lack the human touch.Of course, Amadeus isn't strictly about Mozart himself, it deals with his "rivalry" with Italian composer, Antonio Salieri and the various trials and tribulations of Mozart's wish to display his talents to the world and particularly, the Roman Emperor.
It's also worth noting that his character isn't all that likable on paper, but he brings the grounded humanity, especially in his jealousy for Mozart, that's missing from the rest of the film.Another thing Amadeus has going for it is the glorious music used and conducted for the film.
AMADEUS: DIRECTOR'S CUT Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)Sound format: Dolby DigitalMany years after the death of Mozart (Tom Hulce), the aged and embittered court composer Salieri (F.
But the film is anchored by Abraham in an Oscar-winning turn as Mozart's nemesis Salieri, consumed by envy and hatred whilst simultaneously awed by his rival's genius, the genius which Salieri had wished for himself, only to be denied by a mischievous God. The scenes in his asylum cell - where the elder Salieri confesses his 'crime' to a naive priest (Richard Frank) - are a tour de force, played with an intensity that simply burns up the screen.
Beautifully designed and photographed, and bolstered by a magnificent supporting cast (including Jeffrey Jones, Simon Callow and Kenneth McMillan in a role completely excised from the original theatrical print), the movie unfolds like an operatic melodrama which builds to a shattering climax, as the two central characters reach an understanding (of sorts) during the writing of Mozart's 'Requiem', only to be divided forever by unexpected tragedy.
Tom Hulce as Mozart basically ruins the film with his relentless mugging; he was only chosen because of his cackling laugh.The movie has lavish set designs and costumes, but the underlying hatred of Italians makes the film mean-spirited.
Other mistakes include the casting of Lez Berridge, who annoyingly refers to 'Wolfgang Mozart' as "Volfie", her Brooklyn accent in tow-- make that her Coney Island accent.Worth tuning in to see a perfect performance by Murry Abrahum playing the Italian musical genius, Antonio Salieri..
(Forman hasn't always been on target, though, notably with his highly polished but pushy and almost abusive "Goya's Ghosts," which has a similar structure to "Amadeus," building a large world around a true rebel artist.)Anyway, a marvelous movie, a truly lovely experience, beautifully filmed, intensely envisioned, and acted with aplomb (F.
Well, the website sums it up as ' The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback mode by Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.' But the story is as much about Mozart (played by Tom Hulce in a career defining performance) as it is about his jealous counterpart, Salieri (A much deserved Best Actor performance by F.
His reception by his new patron, Emperor Joseph II, disturbs courtier and established composer Antonio Salieri, who becomes consumed with a burning, selfish passion to physically eliminate Mozart, while recognizing the latter's unique musical genius.Aside from adding considerable interest to an otherwise prosaic script, Salieri's confessional narration that guides the film provides the vehicle for a truly phenomenal performance by actor Frank Murray Abraham.
In a telling scene, after Mozart has performed his genius work to tepid applause, Salieri, self-confessed patron saint of mediocrity, performs his to wild acclaim and receives a medallion from the emperor.That is rather like this receiving so many Oscars and so much praise.It is not a bad film, indeed it is often visually stunning, however at well over 3 hours it does flag in many places.
Antonio feels personally responsible for Mozart's early death, and finally - after years of silence - spills his beans.The flashbacks (intercut with scenes of Salieri reciting the story from memory) show us the infantile and juvenile Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played by "Animal House's" Tom Hulce) and his domination of musical composure in Vienna, where he was the subject of jealousy from Salieri, whose lifelong dream was to be half as great as Mozart.The performances are wonderful - Hulce perfectly embodies the Mozart many of us weren't aware existed - the troubled, disrespectful and hyper-active man-child.
(Once you start watching, you're hooked - even though it's three hours long on the Director's Cut, it's over in what feels like less than half that long.) Milos Forman has been responsible for some wonderful films throughout his career (other highlights include "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The People vs.
I'll keep it short as others have covered this travesty adequately, I think.Basically, take one of the most talented composers / musicians to have ever lived, make him come across as a complete bumbling idiot with a very annoying and persistent laugh, and that just about covers the central problems with this film, plot aside.I love much of Mozart's music and have read a biography about him, and as such I got the impression that I'd like him as a person.
When it appears that this gift has been bestowed upon another, Salieri rejects the Lord, and makes it his life's mission to destroy the talented young man through whom God speaks His voice.Tom Hulce, despite also being nominated for Best Actor for his role, is often cited as the one misstep of the film.
The use of a classical musical score mostly comprised of Mozart's pieces, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner at the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is positively perfect for the film, proving that, even though he lived many centuries ago, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is still far better than even the most gifted cinema composers of the twentieth century..
Ironically, he was more a devoted servant of greatness, as history records him being the chief teacher of the one composer whose reputation arguably eclipses even Mozart's, Ludwig van Beethoven.But screenwriter Peter Shaffer doesn't let this get in the way of a great story, and so we have a great movie, and Salieri, a measure of notoriety his own music never brought..
Murray Abraham), a court composer in Vienna, is excited about the arrival of his musical idol since childhood, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce).
After watching Mozart mock him at a party, Salieri decides that he must do away with him somehow and take his revenge on God, who he has since declared his enemy for giving the beautiful gift of music to a vulgar, little man with an annoying laugh.Milos Forman and Petter Shaffer created a masterpiece with Amadeus, a startling portrayal of two different men thrust together.
Catherine Berridge is the actor in the film given the most opportunity to shine thanks to the Director's Cut. Forman looks deeper into the character of Mozart's wife, Constanze and she is given a much more important role than in the theatrical version and there is even bigger reason as to why she is shocked to see Salieri in Mozart's room at the time of his death.
Great credit to the director (Forman), actors (especially Abraham, one of very few actors to deserve his Best Actor Oscar outright for the performance given), the city of Prague for recreating Vienna so beautifully, to Sir Neville Marriner for the best soundtrack of all time, and to Schaffer for a script that tells a powerful story in such a spellbinding fashion, artfully weaving fact and the fictions of Salieri.Put simply, Amadeus will always be among my top 3 movies of all time, with good reason.
I wasn't a big fan of classical music (still not!) - but I was definitely taken back with this movie.The movie focuses (for the most part) on Salieri - who desires musical greatness (with the help of god) and is maddened by the "lack of effort" that fellow composer Mozart exerts while creating heavenly, divine music.This movie is just fantastic - even though I don't like classical music - this film doesn't isolate people like me...
F. Murray Abraham is positively brilliant as the bitter, envious Antonio Salieri, a mediocrity whose jealousy of the musical talent he believes god has bestowed upon Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce), thereby forsaking him, leads him into a descent of pure hatred and murderous conspiracy..
Emperor Joseph hears about Mozart (Tom Hulce), a musical prodigy that composed and wrote his own operas as young as four years of age.
The pieces that are played just add to the greatness and make it irrestible to look away or take in the music.Mozart was directed by Milos Forman who directed the Oscar winner One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and later to go on to The People Vs. Larry Flynt, two Oscar wins and one nomination for Best Director.
Mozart on his deathbead dictating music to Salieri is the best moment I have watched in any movie, period.
Completely fictionalized film about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart the great composer.
This is a spectacular film showcasing the brief life of one of the world's most renowned musical genius's;"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" (Tom Hulce).
The story is told in flashback by one of the emperor's musical directors; Antonio Salieri (played to perfection by F.Murray Abraham).
Dat Laugh Tho. Amadeus is probably the most exciting film about classical music and Mozart ever.
Murray Abraham's Salieri in his admiration for Mozart and his genius, although my admiration was geared towards Milos Forman's outstanding direction and not on the actual composer himself.
A true masterpiece.The story follows the apocryphal legend that Antonio Salieri was responsible for the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart out of jealousy over the latter's music.
The character studies of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and Antonio Salieri (F.
3. Amadeus is a film about Mozart's life while in Vienna.
Salieri was not actually jealous of Mozart and he was famous at the time in composing his music.
Milos Forman's adaptation of Peter Shaffer's award winning stage play of the life and ultimate downfall of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce) and his difficult relationship with arch rival Antonio Salieri (F. |
tt0417741 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | Severus Snape, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, meets with Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, and Lord Voldemort's faithful supporter Bellatrix Lestrange. Narcissa expresses concern that her son might not survive a dangerous mission given to him by Lord Voldemort. Bellatrix feels Snape will be of no help until he surprises her by making an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa, swearing on his life that he will protect and assist Draco in his mission.
Dumbledore picks Harry up from his aunt and uncle's house, intending to escort him to the Burrow, home of Harry's best friend Ron. On the way they make a detour to the temporary home of Horace Slughorn, former Potions teacher at Hogwarts, and Harry unwittingly helps persuade Slughorn to return to teach. Harry and Dumbledore then proceed to the Burrow, where Hermione has already arrived. The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione get their Ordinary Wizarding Level (O.W.L.) results, along with lists of school supplies. Later, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger follow Draco to Dark Arts supplier Borgin and Burkes. Harry is instantly suspicious of Draco, whom he believes to be a Death Eater.
The students return to school, where Dumbledore announces that Snape will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. In the meantime, Horace Slughorn will resume his post as Potions teacher. Harry now excels in Potions, thanks to having received a used Potions textbook that once belonged to someone named "The Half-Blood Prince," a mysterious former student who wrote numerous tips and spells in his Potions textbook that Harry uses to achieve superb results. After a class contest, The Half-Blood Prince's tips help Harry win a bottle of Felix Felicis, more commonly known as "Liquid Luck." Though Harry's success pleases Slughorn, his newfound brilliance in potions angers Hermione, who feels he is not truly earning his grades and does not trust the Half-Blood Prince.
Believing that Harry needs to learn Voldemort's past to gain advantage in a foretold battle, Dumbledore schedules regular meetings with Harry in his office. Amidst these lessons, Ron starts dating a girl named Lavender Brown, and so Ron and Hermione start yet another quarrel. Also during this time, Dumbledore and Harry use Dumbledore's Pensieve to look at memories of those who have had direct contact with Voldemort. Harry learns about Voldemort's family and his foe's evolution into a murderer obsessed not only with power, but with gaining eternal life. Dumbledore shows Harry a memory involving Slughorn conversing with the young Tom Riddle at Hogwarts, which has clearly been tampered with. He sets Harry the task of convincing Slughorn to give him the true memory so that Dumbledore can confirm his suspicions about Voldemort's rise to power and near-invincibility.
Before using the dose of Felix Felicis he won in class, Harry tries to ask Slughorn directly. Horace yells at Harry. Then, after being sent an invite to Aragog the spider's funeral, he uses an hour's dose of Felix Felicis to succeed in retrieving Slughorn's unedited memory, and he does. In it, Slughorn tells Riddle about the process of splitting one's soul and hiding it in several objects called Horcruxes. It is these objects, forged only through murder, that have gained Voldemort something close to immortality—by splitting his own soul into seven pieces, which is the most powerful magic number. Dumbledore explains that in order to destroy Voldemort, all the Horcruxes must first be destroyed. Two Horcruxes—Riddle's Diary from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and a ring belonging to Voldemort's grandfather Marvolo Gaunt—have already been destroyed, but four others remain.
As Harry learns more about his great enemy, the love lives of the main characters start to become more active. Ron and Hermione grow closer together, but after learning from his sister Ginny that Hermione had previously kissed Viktor Krum, Ron shuns her. Harry's attempts to repair things between the two fail, resulting in Ron going out with Lavender Brown and making Hermione jealous. After Ron is nearly killed in an attempt on Dumbledore's life, he and Hermione reconcile. Ron and Lavender break up when Lavender sees the two of them walking out of the girl's dormitories together. However, this was only because she hadn't noticed Harry walking ahead of them. Harry develops feelings for Ginny, but is reluctant to pursue her for most of the year because of his friendship with Ron. Following a wild Quidditch victory Harry and Ginny finally strike up a relationship, with Ron's reluctant consent.
Near the end of the year, Harry and Dumbledore journey to a cave to retrieve a suspected Horcrux, Slytherin's locket. Dumbledore expertly finds a secret passageway to a large, pitch black underground lake, which Harry and Dumbledore cross in a small boat to an island in the centre. The locket is at the bottom of a basin and can only be reached by drinking the potion above it. Harry helps Dumbledore, who drinks the potion, and though Dumbledore is severely weakened, together they manage to fight off Voldemort's Inferi that have been hiding in the lake. They take the locket and return to find that the Dark Mark has been placed over the highest tower in Hogwarts in their absence. Harry and Dumbledore ascend the tower where they are ambushed by Draco Malfoy, accompanied by Death Eaters that he helped get inside Hogwarts. Dumbledore freezes Harry under his Invisibility Cloak with a body-bind spell to keep him hidden. Draco disarms Dumbledore of his wand and then threatens to kill him, which turns out to have been his mission from Voldemort. Draco is unable to go through with it, and Snape arrives and casts the spell to kill Dumbledore instead. Harry ignores the battle raging in Hogwarts to pursue Dumbledore's killer. Snape successfully fights Harry off, and he reveals that he is in fact the Half-Blood Prince before he, Draco, and the rest of the Death Eaters escape.
After Dumbledore's funeral, Harry decides to break up with Ginny, saying it is too dangerous for their relationship to continue. Harry finds out that the locket is not the real Horcrux, containing only a note from someone named "R. A. B.". Harry is so devastated by Dumbledore's death (and upset by its futility) that he tells his friends he will not be returning to Hogwarts and will instead spend the next year searching out Voldemort's Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione insist on joining him in destroying Lord Voldemort for good. | comedy, mystery, boring, murder, fantasy, cult, revenge, flashback, good versus evil, romantic, entertaining | train | wikipedia | Emma Watson hits the spot, portraying Hermione's emotional vulnerability with gentle confidence and softness.As for Radcliffe, it's easy to miss the evolution he's undergone as Harry, since there are other actors ostensibly given more to do in this outing, like Tom Felton and Bonnie Wright, both of whom get the opportunity to take their characters to a new level.
Whether completely computer generated or practical dye clouds in water, the effect is pitch perfect, even dissolving each memory in sections, leaving important pieces, like young Tom Riddle, to be lingered on just a second longer than the rest.As for the leads, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are solid as usual, (Radcliffe showing some solid comedic chops after taking luck elixir), and Rupert Grint's Ron Weasley gets some room to break free.
A blowhard and man with many "friends", his jubilant smile and need to collect powerful and famous wizards for his Slug Club are ever-present, bringing some levity as well as effectively hiding the dark secret that lies beneath.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince succeeds in the details.
If you've read the novel then you know the subject matter is MUCH darker and the story would have been done greater justice with just a higher rating(and a better screenwriter, yes i'm looking at you Steve Kloves).Overall as a movie i'd give it an 8 out of 10.But as a HARRY POTTER movie it gets 4 out of 10.
Thus begins the sixth adventure of Harry and his conjuring cohorts Hermione and Ron (Watson & Grint) as they divide their time between studies in sorcery and the looming confrontation with Voldemort.Oh, and that crazy Slugborn mixes one humdinger of a love potion.REVIEW: 3 1/2 of 4 Java Mugs Other than the fact that they are both British, and that each is destined to save the world, Harry Potter and James Bond have one other thing in common: Their movie franchises have logged the highest box office totals ever, with Potter likely to pass Bond by the time you read this.
David Yates continues from where he left Order of the Phoenix, arguably the weakest of the seven books but one of the stronger films.In the sixth Harry Potter, Harry works with Dumbledore to unlock a key secret about Voldemort.
True Potter fans should see that Yates has broken the letter to preserve the spirit of Harry Potter.One note from the Potter die-hard within the competent film critic: it is disappointing to miss out on one crucial flashback that would have given Ralph Fiennes a terribly awesome scene to do with Michael Gambon.
Like all Harry Potter fans I have read all of the books and seen every film so far.
My expectations could not have been higher, possibly the highest for any movie I'd ever had.So is it absolutely crazy that my expectations were still surpassed?Whether it be the shockingly wonderful script from Steve Kloves, the perfect acting across the board, dazzling effects, or the absolutely excellent direction and cinematography, 'Half Blood Prince' is EASILY the best film in the series, and is a great cinematic achievement that becomes the first Harry Potter film, in my opinion, that stands alone as a fantastic film, one that could even be Oscar worthy.It appears as if the book series finally being finished has done wonders for the films, as this is the first film produced since the end of the series.
The biggest surprise of all is Michael Gambon, who plays Dumbledore to perfection this time.The faces of the Harry Potter franchise are the three actors that now appear to have grown up with their characters long enough to actually be them.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince mixes comedy, romance, drama, and adventure into one, and makes it so marvelous and fun to watch.The acting in this film than in the earlier ones is more mature and better in quality, also in part because of the maturity of all the actors in the film.
Half-Blood Prince is also very funny, and Ron will have you laughing a lot.A great film that most people will enjoy and especially fans of the books.
I've enjoyed watching the Harry Potter films (I've not read the books), but this is the first one that began to try my patience."Half-Blood Prince" doesn't make sense if you've not read the book it's based on, a crime for which I cannot forgive movie adaptations.
I don't remember Neville having a single line in this movie.Anyone who has read the books will know that there is a momentous event in year six, and while the film certainly covers it, it is rushed and altered such that the audience does not feel much when it happens.Certainly it is understandable that fitting everything from the book into the movie is impossible, and that certain liberties must be taken.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is possibly one of the only, if not the only, movie in the series that stays true to the novel on which it is based.
Well to start with the movie is a love triangle of Hermione,Ron and one another new girl.Yes harry potter plays a role too and he too tries to carry on his love story.This movie is more of a love story in which each of the character tries to be involved in the love.There is one action scene in the movie which lasts for 20 seconds and that too not good.Action sequences were hugely missed in the movie.The movie is not worth money.The director has played with the emotions of the audience.I am saying that because i am a big fan of Harry potter series.And the screenplay was also pretty bad.I would recommend that not to go for this movie.It will destroy your interest in the coming harry potter movies..
Well-made, even arresting filler, true; but come on.That said, it's a marvel how quickly this film's two-and-a-half hours fly by, a testament to the skill of director David Yates, who took over the series with "Order of the Phoenix" and will follow it through its two-movies-from-one-novel conclusion, "Deathly Hallows." Yates keeps you entertained.
Top wizard Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) asks Harry to try to pry the info out of Slughorn over the course of the school year.Also factoring in is a textbook that Harry conveniently stumbles on, a book that used to belong to someone called "the Half-Blood Prince," which contains all sorts of potions, spells and magical hints.Meanwhile, designated evil kid Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is up to something bad, and Professor Snape (Alan Rickman) has apparently signed on to protect him.
Not only does it not stick entirely to the book (none of them really do) but it is dead boring and does not seem to excite me in the way the other movies have.I cannot explain why, but the acting from the cast is absolutely appalling in this film, even from Alan Rickman, who I always believed was the best actor in the series.On top of everything, it annoyed me how much emphasis was placed on romance in this movie.
You managed to make every scene lose its power and make a mockery out of the characters and the story and the logic.Harry Potter movies are supposed to be like riddles, you get subtle hints and in the end everything is supposed to come together but there was nothing like that here, you just threw it all out into the open.
If bringing Harry along was enough, then why go to the loo at all?3: Fixing the room, why not a short shot of the wizards back to back like in the book, would have been nice to see that at least 1 thing of the book came back in the movies and it wouldn't have taken more time.4: Horace Slughorn is supposed to be smaller than Dumbledore, and have a beard, and he was head of slytherin house, not some teacher.
That scene and all the scenes surrounding it were utter crap.7: no explanation to who Gave Katie the necklace and how Slughorn came by the mead, that was part of the riddle that you were supposed to solve but your lame ass movie didn't have any of that did it?9: Dumbledore's torture scene, weak weak weak, didn't have a bit of emotion in it, and missed the point entirely of what he was reliving.10: Dumbledore's death, changed for no reason, doesn't make sense, acted out badly.11: The worst one...You left out the battle in Hogwarts?
When I walked into Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I expected a terrible adaptation of quite possibly one of the weaker books in the series.
The ending is particularly effective in this sense, as the grandiose battle sequences of the novel have been traded off for two quieter scenes in which startling revelations are made, and loyalties are questioned.For fan boys, the film acts as a stepping stone to what will most likely be another book- ruining adaptation.
If you truly are a harry potter fan you will enjoy the movie, not off course love it, because the movies and the books will always be different, and thats the point!.
one should think of what the movie contains, not that its not the book.to begin with, i must say that i think this is the best Harry potter movie, it combines darkness,teenage love(witch by the way was not as cheesy as i though at the first time), and off course magic not to mention Humor.
The humor in this film is one of the greatest, its hard to explain, but its something most people find funny,the love witch i at first found stupid(because i have never like love in books) was in fact enjoyable to watch, not many people think this, but i found this movie to be closest to the book of all the movies.When Hermione gets angry over Ron being with Another girl, we get to see that she might have feelings for Ron, Emma Watson(Hermione) does an sweet and mature acting witch i felt was great.
The memories that belongs to Tom riddle was simply simply amazing, and Jim Broadbent was the perfect choice for Slughorn whom harry tries to get a memory from.The trios acting had become better, and off course the always amazing Alan Rickman(Snape) shows himself in his true colors.Furthermore, i will say to you that this movie is something i cannot understand why other people hate it.
Along the way, the acting seems sketchy (Watson has long ago lost the charisma that made her Hermione so lovable, while Radcliffe seems desperate to do something else
only Grint provides the old magic), the adult cast are once again bypassed (including Alan Rickman, still the best thing in the movies), the emphasis throughout is on grand but soulless special effects, and there are only one or two genuinely good moments – like the bit at the end with the zombies, even if they do look rather too much like Gollum.
I choose to look at it from another perspective, at least I have read the book and I know the full story, if they leave bits out (which they have, in droves) then I know the actual story so I can fill the blanks (which there are many!) with the information I acquired from the book.So in my opinion, I feel sorry for Harry Potter fans who went to watch this and have not read the book, because there is so much more going on, there are so many more tales to tell and much more information given to the reader than this movie portrays.
And even after Harry learns important information concerning Voldemort and his past, he does not share it with Ron and Hermione, so for the first time in the film series, his best friends play extremely insignificant roles.The cinematography is one of the few strong points of the film; there is a visually stunning shot of Harry and Dumbledore standing on a rock jutting up from the crashing ocean as they are about to enter the great cave.
War, hormones, and dark magic equal a better-than-average year for the students of Hogwarts, and the best Potter movie since Prisoner of Azkaban.Burgeoning love is very much the new character in this film; the chaste smooches and not-so-subtle hints of mutual attraction have given way to unbridled make-out sessions and scorned teens in all their glory.
Everyone, whether or not they've read the Potter series, will leave this film knowing who likes whom, but far fewer will understand how Harry and Dumbledore wound up in a mountainside cave hunting for pieces of Voldemort's soul; and fewer still, unless they've really been paying attention, will grasp the profundity of Fawkes the Phoenix's departure from Hogwarts.
This was easily the worst film among the lot guys....I don't know what the other guys mean by "great film"....maybe Warner Bros them-self is posting these comments....I had read from newspapers that this film has lots of romance and comedy.....But unfortunately that is the ONLY thing that this movie has.....and these jokes were mostly un-laughable....and the romance was non-palpable I am a lover of HP series (movies and books both)....but i don't remember each and every line like some of the fanatics.....i only remember the outline.....I wont say a movie is bad just because it deviated from the book....I am judging the film just own its own merit...ITS REALLY Disappointing....virtually no magic, no mentioning of possible horcrux materials, too little Tom Riddle memories, and the final battle scene -well there was no battle..I seriously think Warner Bros was trying to save money by cutting down the battle scenes to NIL.If there is no magic what fun is a HP movie....?
Mixing several genres such as comedy, horror, romance, action adventure and even a bit of a detective story, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a thrilling summer movie.In this sixth instalment of the Harry Potter series, Harry begins his sixth year at Hogwarts knowing that the world is now in serious threat because the Dark Lord Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters are on the loose, causing havoc, death and destruction to the wizarding and the muggle world.
In The Goblet of Fire, Cedric Diggory's death was shocking, but in The Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is at full power, making us feel the constant presence of danger and evil and that anyone on screen could die at any moment (but don't fret; body count: 1).But the thing is, this movie does not only deal with the three actors like the films before it.
And despite its long running time, over 2 hours 30 minutes, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince seems adequate as David Yates pushes the movie to a cracking pace and some of us might even crave for more.
But all this turns into already second week and boring movie, which leaves no memories or emotions whatsoever.If I was a person, who had never heard of Harry Potter and the first movie I saw about him was Half Blood Prince - I would never even want to learn anything more about him.
As is any fan of the well-written Harry Potter saga, I expected great things from this latest film installment: The Half-Blood Prince; with David Yates again at the helm why wouldn't I expect anything less?
The Burrow burns down during x-mas break due to Bellatrix and Fenrir (who is never described as a werewolf) perhaps for the lack of action at the end of the movie...the Dursleys are completely cut from the movie, meaning when Dumbledore picks Harry up for the summer it's at the train station for some apparent reason...The Ginny/Dean/Harry dichotomy is skewed, there was no break up between Ginny and Dean and Harry is clearly in love with her from the start of the movie which eliminates his confusion on his feelings during the school year...Hermoine prematurely spills the beans on her feelings for Ron which was only speculation in the novels...Lavender Brown becomes a obsessive and crazed girlfriend rather than simply over-affectionate (a reminiscent Unis from She's the Man)...the battle scene is missing from the end giving Dumbledore's death an anticlimactic feel making it all the more unemotional and disappointing...Harry hides under the floor simply holding his wand looking like a coward while Dumbledore dies, Snape sees him hiding rather than Harry being frozen under his cloak compliments of Dumbledore ...There is no funeral or break up with Ginny at the end of it (there is no relationship between the two either simply a kiss)...Hagrid is basically deleted from the movie as is Neville...Pensive trips are deleted and the Horocruxes are never explained, not even slightly...Luna finds Harry on the Hogwarts Express rather than Tonks...The Slug Club simply makes a cameo rather than a proper introduction and explanation...the Inferi look more like skeletons compared to the white bodies described in the book...I'm sure more discrepancies are present, however I can only remember so many of them.It is absolutely a horrible interpretation of the book and I hope that they look at all of the mistakes and gaps left for the next movie and fill them in with more than humor (they are supposed to be in the middle of an all out war aren't they?) I mean I didn't even feel emotional when Dumbledore was killed, I was too busy trying to figure out why Harry was acting like a stunned coward under the floor boards and not doing something, isn't that his thing...doing seemingly impossible rescue missions?!?!
Since I consider myself a dedicated Harry Potter fan, I am going to try to put this as nicely as possible...If I had never read any of the books (hey they're long I get it) I would have thought this movie was pretty cool and a step up from past films in terms of laughter and the script itself including special effects.
i thought i went to see harry potter and the half blood prince but the whole time i was wondering what book it was based off of be there weren't many similarities. |
tt0337741 | Something's Gotta Give | Harry Sanborn is a wealthy New York music mogul who has had a 40-year habit of dating women under 30, including his latest conquest, Marin Klein. The two drive to her mother's Hamptons beach house expecting to be alone, but are surprised by Marin's mother, successful playwright Erica Barry, who is there with her sister Zoe.
After an awkward dinner, the night turns disastrous when — during foreplay with Marin — Harry has a heart attack and is rushed to a hospital. The doctor, Julian Mercer, tells Harry to stay nearby for a few days, so Harry ends up staying with Erica. Their personalities clash and make for awkward living arrangements—until they get to know each other. The fact that Harry is dating her daughter and that Julian has fallen for Erica leave the two struggling to deal with relationships.
Marin and Harry agree to break up. He and Erica spend more time together and eventually consummate their relationship. Harry discovers that his improving health means that he no longer has to stay with Erica, so he heads home.
Marin receives news that her father, Dave Klein, Erica's ex-husband, whom Erica still allows to direct her plays, is getting remarried to Kristen, an ear, nose and throat doctor who is only two years older than Marin. Although Erica is unaffected by the news, Marin is devastated and pressures her mother into accompanying her to a family dinner. Erica is the life of the party until she sees Harry at another table with another woman. In the argument that follows, Harry suffers from what he believes is another heart attack, but he is told by the young ER physician, Dr. Martinez, who treats him like her father, that it was only a panic attack.
Although she is heartbroken, Erica figures that these events would be great to use in a play. Harry hears about it and rushes to the NYC theater where it is being rehearsed. Despite her denials, it is quickly obvious that she has used the most personal details of their affair in the play. Erica coolly rebuffs his every insinuation that he cares about her and hints that his character will die in the play—for a laugh. He then has another panic attack and is again treated by Dr. Martinez, who warns him that he needs to learn to "decompress".
Six months pass. Erica's play is a huge success. Harry pays Marin a visit to apologize for anything he ever did to hurt her. She replies that he was nothing but nice to her and happily tells him that she is pregnant and has a new husband. Harry expresses a desire to see Erica. Marin tells him that her mother is in Paris celebrating her birthday. Harry decides to surprise Erica. Remembering how they had once planned to spend their birthdays together there, he shows up at the Parisian restaurant where she is seated at a table. Harry explains that over the past six months he reached out to all of the women he ever had affairs with, and even though repeatedly rebuffed at first, finally broke through. They all had identical harsh stories that helped him learn how "I arrived at being me." He tells Erica that his trip to find her was the last and the farthest. Julian appears. All along, Erica has been waiting at the restaurant for Julian, whom she is now dating.
Harry and Erica get along well during the dinner, but they part outside the restaurant. While he is gazing in heartache over the river Seine, ("Guess who finally gets to be the girl?" he says to himself) Erica pulls up in a taxi. She explains that Julian figured out what was happening between them and decided to step aside to let Erica be with Harry. Harry explains that his search the last six months has made him realize he truly loves Erica. Harry and Erica kiss.
A year later, at a New York restaurant, Erica and Harry, now married, are out with Marin, her husband and her new baby daughter, as one big happy family. | comedy, boring, romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | Diane Keaton gives the performance of her career in 'Something's Gotta Give,' writer/director Nancy Meyers' smart and savvy take on middle-age romance.
The chemistry generated between Keaton and Nicholson in this film is so glowing and palpable one wonders why no filmmaker ever saw the potential of this dynamic duo until now.In addition to these two outstanding performers, the film boasts excellent supporting work from Frances McDormand as Erica's pragmatic, clear-headed sister; Amanda Peet as Erica's level-headed daughter; and Keanu Reeves as Harry's handsome young doctor who finds himself smitten by Erica's mature beauty and charm.'Something's Gotta Give' is that rare romantic comedy that not only acknowledges the romantic inclinations of people over forty, but also recognizes the emotional complexities of their relationships.
It takes the experience that comes from living to make a person interesting, after all.Thanks to the quality of the writing and the performances, 'Something's Gotta Give' takes its place among the great romantic comedy/dramas like 'Two For the Road,' 'Annie Hall,' 'When Harry Met Sally' and 'The American President.' That's mighty august company indeed..
Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton always give their 100% best in their performances, they did a great job in their roles.
Okay, technically he plays 63-year-old Harry Sanborn, owner of a hip-hop record label and chronic womanizer.One of the funniest scenes in the movie comes right near the beginning.
Meyers wrote the script with Keaton and Nicholson in mind specifically, the decision was a wise one.Something's Gotta Give has a funny beginning and a sweet ending, but the middle suffers from an unfortunate lag..
Nicholson's doctor (a good performance by Keanu Reeves, getting away from his stupid "Matrix" films) soon falls in love with Keaton who is totally oblivious to his feelings.
Not so with this film, thanks to a sharp-witted script and direction by Nancy Meyers, two great stars in Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson who click wonderfully together on screen and an excellent supporting cast that includes Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet and Frances McDormand.
Harry Sanborn (Nicholson), the over-age playboy who has spent his entire life avoiding serious commitments, is set to spend the weekend with his flavor of the moment girlfriend, Marin(Amanda Peet), at a beach house owned by Marin's mother.
Unfortunately for Harry and Marin, Marin's mother Erica Barry(Diane Keaton), who is a famous playwright, shows up for the weekend also with her sister Zoe(Frances McDormand).
And, it's simply a delight to watch.When the film begins, Harry (Jack Nicholson) is out chasing after a women who is about a third his age, Marin (Amanda Peet).
However, this womanizing eternal bachelor is about to come into contact with Marin's mother, Erica (Diane Keaton) and for the first time in his life, he begins to have real feelings for a woman.
Most importantly, however, the writing is so good that you believe such a relationship COULD happen--and it's not simply a formulaic film and the two behave in wonderful and unexpected ways when they realize they are in love.
Something's Gotta Give (2003)There are two things recommending this film: Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton.
We're supposed to believe that not because of how his character is developed, but because...well...because he's Jack Nicholson.Diane Keaton wasn't particularly disappointing, because I've never been a big fan of hers, anyway.
It's the film's version of character development that her character evolves from an uptight recluse to a self-actualized, fully-empowered woman, but to me that transition was just too easy.Amanda Peet, playing Keaton's daughter, gives a one note performance that, while consistent with the rest of the movie, relies more on her beauty than on substance to get the audience to care about her.
In a movie like this, which suggests that Jack dates young women because he sees them as merely pretty faces, it's almost criminal to not prove to the audience that Peet is anything but.Finally, France McDormand, in a smaller role, seems to exist solely for the purpose of directly verbalizing the movie's thesis at the beginning of the movie.
While normally I love Diane Keaton, I found this movie very hard to watch, especially during her 15 minute crying jag vignettes.
I must confess that I don't know if the movie got any better after the scene on the beach with Amanda Peet and Diane Keaton because my husband and I walked out.
I thought this was going to be a fun little romantic comedy, with Jack Nicholson romping all over the screen, instead this was a sappy, women's empowerment(until the end) movie with a little mother daughter movie mixed in.
There were several plot points that were just ridiculous, and pointless, one of my main problems with this movie, was near the end when Jack shows up at Amanda's door with a full beard, in the next scene he's shaved it off, now, I understand the beard was to show that time has passed but they flashed the "6 months later" up on the screen, so the beard was pointless, I kept wondering why his travelings had made him forget how to shave.
There is good chemistry between Nicholson and Keaton, even though they look like their clenching their jaws when they kiss, and much of the movie's first hour or so is very funny.
But the movie begins to run out of steam in the second half as more attention is payed to character growth then getting some good jokes in, and while Meyer's movies tend to have pat and predictable endings, they generally work better on their own terms than this one, which feels false and formulaic.
Her previous effort, WHAT WOMEN WANT, not only gave Mel Gibson the most 'well-rounded' comic role of his career, but revealed a talent in song and dance that Gibson had never previously demonstrated (with the revival of musicals, one can only hope that Mel will get a shot at displaying those talents again).With SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE, Meyers turns her magic to 66-year old screen legend Jack Nicholson, creating a character that more fully exhibits and explores his famous persona than any other film "Smilin' Jack" has ever made...and even takes him to task, occasionally!Even more impressively, she gives Diane Keaton, at 57, her finest screen role in years, and reminds audiences that actresses don't HAVE to be under 30 to be desirable, with a character who is wise, funny, vulnerable, and...dare I say it...still enormously sexy!The story involves a planned weekend tryst between a young Christie's broker (Amanda Peet, in another of her recent 'star-making' roles), and famous record producer Harry Sanborn (Nicholson), a wise-cracking, worldly Lothario in sunglasses, famous for never dating a woman under 35.
These people have huge budgets, access to the best acting, directorial and writing talent but somehow consistently manage to come up with absolutely beautifully shot crap.Here we have your simple love story between two opposites that fall for each other and the bad boy versus the nice guy thats good for you.
I think some exec thought it would make a more upbeat ending and hedge the risk in the "edginess" of the plot to make it more acceptable for the little middle-aged man in Peoria...So unless you're looking for something to critique for a film course or you really want to see Jack Nicholson's butt or Diane Keaton's breasts, go for something better like "As good as it gets" or "I could never be your woman" if you want romantic comedy..
Both Dianne Keaton and Jack Nicholson acted very unnaturally.The scenes at the hospital were just as pathetic as ER show.When it came to that moment where Erica asks Harry to cut her clothes, we decided to cut the viewing session.Fans of good comedies..
Director Nancy Meyers ("What Women Want," 1998's "Parent Trap" remake) serves up another dish of bland and cliché romantic comedy fluff where believability takes a back seat on the Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton vehicle "Something's Gotta Give." Nicholson plays a successful record executive named Harry, whose highly publicized relationships with women much younger than himself has given him quite the reputation.
So, for the record, regardless of love's old dream, regardless of grunting, sweating, sex, regardless of loneliness or the need for a life partner; can I make it quite clear that No Sane Woman, regardless of her age - would ever, ever, ever - Not Ever - choose Jack Nicholson over Keanu Reeves.
I saw first saw Something's Gotta Give, the new film by Nancy Meyes and starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, a month ago.
The things that make the film work are that Nicholson and Keaton have a nice connection to each other, like one of those old Hollywood star-couples in the old-time Hollywood movies.
This is really quite a funny romantic comedy, mainly because of an outstanding performance by Diane Keaton as Erica Barry, a wealthy and successful playwright, who is divorced from her husband and, although lonely, apparently satisfied with her life.
Along comes Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), an older man who is romancing Erica's 30-year-old daughter, Marin (Amanda Peet), who has a heart attack while at Erica's lavish beach home in the Hamptons and who is told by emergency room doctor, Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves), that he must remain in the Hamptons, not return to New York City.
Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton do a wonderful job.Jack plays Harry Sanborn, a 60 something reprobate who cannot conceive being in a relationship with any woman beyond the age of 25.
Due to a scheduling mixup, Mother also shows up and after a good deal of initial confusion, an uneasy truce ensues with both parties agreeing to spend the weekend while remaining discreetly out of one another's way.Later, while trying to consummate a physical relationship with the daughter, Harry has a heart attack and is rushed to the hospital where a young local doctor Julian Mercer, played by Keanu Reeves, saves his life.
This is a good movie for anybody who likes Jack Nicholson because he is a riot in this film as the playboy old enough to be these women's grandpa.
Seeing Keanu Reeves and Diane Keaton on the screen is like watching two different movies spliced together in the editing studio.
I expected a lot of this movie with the "big names " in it, but found it slow and drawn out especially jack nicholson, diane keatons performance was a complete "overacting" saga, and the story, well!it tried to be a great love story but was never going to get there.
"Something's Gotta Give" is about a man (Jack Nicholson) who dates younger women, but then falls in love with his newest flame's mother (Diane Keaton), whose house he's staying at because he recently had a heart attack.
There was a little bit of witty banter between Nicholson and Keaton, a script as devoid of plot as any movie I can recall, and an absolutely throw-away ending.
The rest is schmaltzy, over-sentimental drivel, broken up only by intermittent rays of light provided by Jack Nicholson and, to a lesser extent, Keanu Reeves.Diane Keaton is hideously miscast, although she is not helped by her character being wafer thin - are we supposed to believe Erica is a top playwright when she displays such little understanding of life and love?
Frances McDormand is criminally underused, although by the end you have the feeling that her main scene could have been in a different film.The plot is turned several times too many (if you thought Return of the King had too many false endings, try this on for size) but always to the inevitable conclusion.4/10, with all points being scored in the first quarter by Jack Nicholson..
Nicholson, back to hamming it up, plays a 63 year old bachelor hip hop label owner who meets up with Diane Keaton's frigid playwright via her daughter, played to unconvincing effect by the girl with greatest eyes since Liz Taylor, Amanda Peet.Meyers' script starts strong and somewhat sassy but the plot machinations grow tiresome and the budding romance between the two older leads goes from amusing and involving to downright pathetic.
Besides, the chemistry between Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson is just fun to watch.8/10.
But here is a movie in which the older guy (played by Jack Nicholson, big surprise) and the younger woman actually start out together, THEN the old guy falls in love with a woman...
The only good thing about it was Jack Nicholson, and Diane Keaton was so damned annoying (does she ever quit crying?).
There's less than meets the eye in Nancy Meyers' romantic-comedy-cum-ageist/feminist-polemic about a roué (Jack Nicholson) who has an affair with a successful, self-reliant playwright (Diane Keaton), the mother of one of his attempted conquests.
Keanu Reeves plays the younger man who comes between Keaton and Nicholson; it would have been nice to see him getting back into the comic form he was so comfortable with in `Parenthood' and `Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure' but he's given very little to do and ends up being an unneeded straight man.
Jack Nicholson was miscast as the aging love interest (come on - women are falling for this guy who keeps having heart attacks?).
The movie tries to be overly cute and only ends up being annoying (there is an endless scene of Keaton crying that destroys any shred of credibility her character has managed to create), and looks like it was pieced together by several writers, none of whom consulted with the other.
Nowhere near as humorous as Tom Cruise dancing in his underwear.How many times can you milk a joke about needing glasses to read the fine print or rehashing the stale email flirtations of Harry 37 before you start looking at your watch and wishing for the credits to roll.Aside from my doubting the movie's premise, that an aging writer, Keaton, is infinitely fascinating to both an aging lech, Nicholson, and a dashing young doctor, Reeves, I was bored by the long drawn out scenes of romance.Perhaps the movie was an autobiographical fantasy for the writer, director, producer of the film.
I was so excited about this movie...I am a big Diane Keaton fan, enjoy Jack Nicholson a great deal and generally like well made romantic comedies.
Even if I am a fairly young compared to the characters on the film it was incredibly nice for a change to see a movie about 50 something people who find love at old days.Erica Barry (Diane Keaton) is a celebrated theater author who is in her mid-fifties, has divorced a couple of years backwards and she is more beautiful than ever in her life.
You may guess the rest.Even if the story is somewhat told a dozen times before it is still fresh and the theme of mixing the young and the old is very much appealing.Diane Keaton makes a strong lead by playing Erica who thought she had all things that life can give you.
And I don't buy for a minute, the whole scene in Paris.But the performances of Nicholson and Keaton, more than make this movie worth seeing.
Starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, and Keanu Reeves and opening toward the end of 2003, `Something's Gotta Give' a meaningless title is a conventional Hollywood film `romantic comedy' that gently rejects June-December romances.
I cant believe that wonderful movie has a ratio of 6.3 out of 10.How people vote movies.This movie is one of the best movie of my life and in its branch best.I really don't see a necessity to talk about players but i think i should because of that absurd votes.Diane Keaton is one of the best female actress and this is one of her best performance i think.Jack Nicholson was perfect like usual.One of the most important think about this movie is that movie was directed very good thank to Nancy Myers.Most important think about movie is that the story was perfect thank to Nancy Myers again.When i say perfect i mean real perfect.There are lots of real good comedy movies but they don't have a good story but this one has a perfect story that sometimes made me laugh to tears sometimes made me felt i have to fall in love.Add your MUST BE WATCHED LIST.10 out of 10..
The plot is quite typical for a romantic comedy and it makes it a little predictable, but the good chemistry between the two main characters (Nicholson and Keaton) and the fact that they do not do a bad acting at all (well they are good actors) is the main point of the film.
A very funny, quirky romantic comedy in the vein of "As Good As It Gets," about a 63-year-old bachelor (Jack Nicholson) who has it all: glory, money, and young women at his disposal.
When his newest girlfriend (Amanda Peet) brings him home to her house, Jack meets her mother (Diane Keaton), who is closer to his own age and is dating a younger man (Keanu Not Act Reeves in "Doctor Role," which basically means he's playing the same thing he always does).
I loved the aging protagonists, played so marvelously by both, Jack Nicholson & Diane Keaton.
I wanted to see the movie as I was curious to see how Jack Nicholson & Keanu Reeves will feature in such a romantic comedy movie.
There's a great scene on the beach between Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, which seems almost improvised, where they talk about his reputation for non-commitment and her supposed non-date with his doctor.
Something's Gotta Give Gives Love and Laughs Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) the no-ties, younger ladies man, casually dates a classy, New York, Southampton, twenty-something, woman named, Marin Barry, (Amanda Peet), daughter to notable play write, Erica Jane Barry (Diane Keaton).
All elements for a good comedy are included- very good performances by Nicholson and Keaton (Reeves is a bit disappointing), a number of hilarious scenes and a story that is quite interesting. |
tt0048394 | Muerte de un ciclista | In Madrid, driving down an isolated road after a secret tryst, María José (Lucia Bosè), and her lover Juan (Alberto Closas) hit a cyclist and kill him. Instead of staying and calling the police for help the two run away as their relationship is a clandestine one and Maria's powerful husband Miguel Castro (Otello Toso) is partly responsible for Juan's position as a college professor. Maria and Juan were high school sweethearts and Maria married up in class when she took Miguel as her husband so when social wannabe and hanger on Rafael "Rafa" Sandoval (Carlos Casaravilla) teases Maria and Juan about secrets they keep. The two lovers start to think that Rafa may know something and they confront him. As it turns out Miguel reads the suspicious nature of his wife and her lover correctly and plans to take Maria away out of the country. Juan is a mathematics teacher at the local college and consumed by guilt when he causes an altercation and student revolt due to his distracted treatment of a student. Juan has a change of heart and decides to confess to the police and asks Maria to come with him, but the woman understands all too clearly her place and what she has to lose, and she confronts her conscience in an extreme way.----------------------written by KrystelClaireUna carretera con tres árboles resecos a los lados. Un hombre mayor (Manuel Alexander), vestido con abrigo y pantalones, va en bicicleta, él sólo. Se le pierde de vista detrás de una curva. Inmediatamente aparece un coche en dirección contraria que frena bruscamente. Es una pareja. El hombre se baja a atender al ciclista herido. Una rueda de la bicicleta gira y gira. El hombre dice "Aún está vivo", pero la mujer, vestida con un largo abrigo de pieles, lo llama "Juan, Juan". Juan Fernández Soler (Alberto Closas) se da cuenta. La pareja se sube al coche y se va, dejando al ciclista tirado. María José de Castro (Lucía Bosé, doblada al castellano con la voz de Elsa Fábregas) es quien conduce, y Juan no puede evitar mirar para atrás continuamente.Ninguno de los dos dice nada hasta llegar a Madrid. Está lloviendo. María se abraza a Juan y afirma tener miedo. Juan la calma, se baja del coche y promete llamarla. María se va conduciendo, mientras Juan se reafirma que nadie los ha visto. Juan mira a ninguna parte mientras se fuma un cigarrillo.Un hombre y una mujer besándose en la boca. Son Miguel Castro (Otello Toso) y María José dando una fiesta en casa a unos amigos. Una de esas amigas, Cristina (Mercedes Albert) comenta que no hay otra razón para que Miguel haya comprado un brazalete tan caro a María José aparte de que los negocios le van muy bien.Mientras esperan por Carmina (Alicia Romay) y Jorge (Emilio Alonso) para cenar, María José le pregunta al pianista cómo se llama la pieza que está tocando. El pianista responde que Chantaje , a las 5:30 de la tarde en la carretera a Francia. La sonrisa se va de la cara de ella. El pianista pregunta si María José tiene algo que declarar: drogas, dinero, amantes..., a lo que ella responde que no. Rafael "Rafa" Sandoval (Carlos Casaravilla) es el pianista.Esa noche, están esperando para cenar a Juan. Doña María (Julia Delgado Caro) le pregunta si algo le preocupa, a lo que Juan contesta que cree que no le darán la cátedra, porque tendría que trabajar demasiado. Doña María le dice que encontes tiene que trabajar más. Juan dice que Carmina es la buena hija de doña María, que se ha casado bien. Carmina y Jorge se quedan a cenar en la fiesta con María José, así que llaman a doña María. Doña María dice a Juan que él podría ir a la fiesta. Carmina se queja en la fiesta diciendo que Juan es un desastre, que nunca quiere hacer nada, lo que es una pena, porque si trabajase más Jorge podría ayudarle a llegar muy lejos. El gracioso de la fiesta suelta un discurso que nadie se toma en serio, pero que después aparece como una noticia en el NODO. Juan en el cine ve ese discurso durante la cena, con todos los comensales ya sentados. No le gusta la noticia y se sale del cine, a fumar.María José le pide a Miguel que la lleve con él a su viaje de negocios. Éste no se opone, pero es al final María José la que da marcha atrás. En su solitaria cama, Juan recuerda lo que María José le dijo una vez, que estaba harta de ver siempre las mismas caras y que quería irse.Al día siguiente, en su trabajo como profesor adjunto, el catedrático de matemáticas tiene que salir un momento durante el examen. Juan no presta atención a la alumna que está resolviendo un problema. Al contrario, hace ruido con el periódico. Aquí es cuando lee una noticia titulada Muerte de un ciclista. Eso lo pone aún más nervioso, mientras la alumna sigue dando las explicaciones. Juan no puede evitar soltar "¡Cállese!". La alumna para, confundida, y parece a punto de echarse a llorar.En el hipódromo, en los entrenamientos, Miguel y sus amigos aplauden las evoluciones del caballo Emperador. Como si mantuvieran una conversación trivial, Juan le dice a María José que el ciclista murió, y que ahora sólo les queda esperar.El amigo plasta les lee los titulares de la sección de sucesos. La del ciclista y la de Piluca, a quien le han robado una joya, son las más destacadas.Corte al circo, con los niños riéndose del payaso que llora. María José se está poniendo nerviosa con las indirectas del amigo plasta. Juan le dice que pudo verla conduciendo a ella sóla, pero que seguro que no la ha relacionado con el atropello. María José insiste en que tienen que intentar averiguar qué es lo que sabe Rafa y la policía. Juan teme que esa investigación ponga en la pista a los demás sobre su relación. La pareja no se atreve a besarse en público, delante de los niños.Matilde Luque Carvajal (Bruna Corrà) va a protestar a Juan. Ella sabe que no se merece ese suspenso, y que la suspendió Juan, no el catedrático. Juan le dice que recurra al claustro. Matilde sabe que sería inútil, porque el yerno de Juan lo protejería frente a cualquier reclamación. A Juan le sienta mal que le digan que es un protegido. Juan reconoce que fue un error y que la nota es injusta, pero de todas formas no parece que vaya a hacer nada para solucionar el error.En una galería de arte. María José y Rafa están criticando unos cuadros, pero él se da cuenta de que no es de eso de lo que ella quiere hablar. Rafa dice que él da un baño de cultura a las reuniones de sociedad a las que asiste, pero que por sí solo no podría mantenerse viviendo tan bien, y que se dedica a observar lo que hace toda la gente de la "buena sociedad". Él le pide dinero, y ella acepta; además, Rafa está interesado en acostarse con María José.Miguel, Rafa y María José asisten a una boda en una capilla al aire libre. Rafa revolotea alrededor de Miguel y María José. Rafa le pregunta a Miguel si es verdad que se van a ir él y María José de viaje. María José atiende distraidamente a una amiga que le habla de un partido de canasta a favor de los "niños pobres, o de los niños tontos, o de los niños algo".Juan visita a Aurelia Gómez Tejedor en un barrio popular, abarrotado, populoso, con los críos correteando por las escaleras y todas partes. Una vecina (Matilde Muñoz Sampedro), mayor, despeinada, desastrada, con un bebé en brazos, le dice que Aurelia está en Madrid por lo del seguro. Juan se hace pasar por periodista, y le pregunta por la viuda. La vecina le hace entrar en su piso. Le dice que Aurelia tiene máquina de coser. La vecina afirma que la policía no tiene ninguna pista sobre el coche. De hecho, el bebé que la vecina cuida es el de Aurelia, y hay otro crío Toño, por allí.María José pregunta a Miguel por su conversación con Rafa, quien de repente le cae mal. Miguel le dice que Rafa critica a todo y a todos porque es su trabajo. A Rafa no le gusta que María José viaje. Juan llama a María José para decirle que nadie sabe nada, pero ella cree que Rafa sí.El sargento de la policía de tráfico (Fernando Sancho) comenta el caso con Encarna (Elisa Méndez), la tabernera de la tasca La Serrana, donde también se sirven comidas. Dicen que tuvo que ser un camión, y que el hombre podría haberse salvado si no lo hubieran dejado allí tirado. Mientras tanto, la patrona de una pensión intenta ver a la amante de María José. Juan comenta que la guerra lo dejó vacío y que ya no cree en nada, ni siquiera en la novia que no lo esperó porque se casó con un hombre rico. María José dice que todavía ama a Juan, su amor de los 18 años. Juan reconoce que a veces desea que todo salte por los aires y se descubra.Miguel y María José van a cenar con unos americanos que les podrían dar una contrata. Jorge presionará y les ayudará, como de costumbre. Miguel sospecha que Juan está muy enamorado de ella, y que otra gente envidia a María José, sus apellidos, su dinero. Le pregunta por su antiguo novio. Le cuenta la historia de un matrimonio que Rafa le había contrado a él: un matrimonio donde ella le fue infiel a él, él le quitó todo el dinero a ella y que nadie después se dignaba a hablar con ella, que perdió toda su posición social.Rafa toca el piano y entretiene a los americanos. Carmina quiere que Juan escriba una novela o algo así. María José dice a Juan que Miguel y Rafa siguen lanzándole indirectas. Juan le dice a María José que tiene que sonreír más.Rafa dice a Miguel que está en medio de un negocio con María José y Juan, pero no dice nada más. Llevan a los americanos a un tablao flamenco. La cantaora es Gracita Montes. Rafa se emborracha y dice que él sabe las cosas sucias de la gente bien. Juan acaba pegándole, y Rafa dice que es a partir de entonces cuando él va a empezar a divertirse. Hay un montón de miradas entre Juan, Miguel, Rafa - susurrándole algo a María José -. Rafa habla con Miguel y el camarero avisa a Juan de que le está esperando la policía.Juan ataca a Rafa, y este coje una botella rota para defenderse. Miguel para la pelea. Miguel le vuelve a preguntar a Rafa si realmente ha visto lo que dice que ha visto, con María José delante. Rafa afirma que vio a María José con Juan en su coche. Ella le pregunta "qué más, qué más", varias veces, y se echa llorando en brazos de Miguel. Rafa no entiende nada, y Miguel parece no creer a Rafa. La botella que tira Rafa, algo menos borracho, enlaza con la que tiran los estudiantes rompiendo un cristal de una ventana del decanato de la universidad.El decano (José Prada) está interrogando a Juan, mientras que los estudiantes se manifiestan en su contra. La razón es la injusticia en la nota con Matilde. El decano aconseja a Juan hablar con su cuñado para que lo apoye. Matilde lamenta todo el jaleo que se ha montado con su nota. Juan dice que algunos de ellos están ahí para montar jaleo, pero que otros sí que realmente están preocupados por la situación de Matilde. Juan dice que el hecho de que tuviese que ir a buscarlo la policía - el decano no lograba dar con él - lo había asustado muchísimo. Juan afirma que la manifestación le ha hecho sentirse joven de nuevo. Matilde se va sin rencor, y ella misma calma a muchos de sus compañeros.Hay un funeral con mucho boato. María José, para calmarlo, le dice que Rafa al final no sabía nada de lo suyo, y que Miguel no lo creyó de todas formas. María ya ni se acuerda del "accidente", mientras que Juan no deja de pensar en ello. María José le da un donativo para que Juan lo haya llegar a Aurelia de manera anónima. Juan quiere hablar con ella con más calma, y María José dice que lo harán, pero más adelante, ya que en ese momento necesitan ser prudentes. Juan se mueve por la iglesia como alma en pena, y un cura le pregunta si quiere confesarse, pero Juan responde que no, que ya es demasiado tarde.Las pistas de atletismo de la universidad. El entrenador (Antonio Casas) habla con Juan de los viejos tiempos en que corrían delante de las boyonetas. Juan dice que va a arreglar todo. El entrenador dice que puede volver a hablar con él en cualquier momento, y él manda besos para Magda y las niñas.Matilde aparece al otro lado de una vaya. Juan le da una nota dimitiendo, y le pide que se la lleve al decano o a secretaría. Matilde le dice que se lo piense mejor. Juan dice que se va por una larga temporada y que cuando él vuelva, igual ella ya no es estudiante, está casada y tiene críos. Juan le da las gracias por todo. Matilde se preocupa por él. Juan dice que tiene que irse por algo malo que hizo una vez.Juan llama a María José, que está ya poniendo sábanas sobre los muebles. Se van al extranjero ese mismo día. Juan dice a María José que se entregue con él. María José le dice que sí, aunque parece estar replanteándose todo. Cuando Miguel baja por las escaleras, ve que algo va bien.Doña María le dice a Juan que nunca lo ha entendido, y que no ha sido capaz de ayudarlo.Miguel se da cuenta de que María José sólo quiere de él su dinero. Miguel le dice que es ella la que tendrá que elegir: él se va a ir en avión a las 9:15 al extranjero por mucho tiempo, y es decisión de María José decidir si se va con él o no.Más tarde, Juan le dice a ella que en cuando se delaten, serán libres por fin. María José no quiere eso. Juan dice que, en ese momento, si ella no se entrega con él, él no podrá evitar delatarla y arrastrarla con él.Al mismo tiempo, Matilde la da la carta de dimisión a doña María, no al decano. Doña María piensa que Juan es incapaz de hacer algo malo. Juan vuelve al lugar donde estaban las trincheras durante la guerra. Él se pone a recordar esos años de la guerra, cuando él se consolaba pensando en María José. La tierra está baldía. En ese mismo sitio, fue donde atropellaron al ciclista. María José tiene frío - el día está despejado pero desangelado - y se mete en el coche. Ella se retuerce el pelo, desesperada, y mira el reloj, con prisa. Juan parece dispuesto a irse, pero hace una seña a María José para que se acerque.María José se aferra al volante con rabia. Cuando él vuelve a insistir, ella arranca y acelera. Se baja para mirar si ha matado a Juan definitivamente.Miguel sigue esperando en al casa, ahora cubierta de sábanas por todas partes. Ve un retrato de mesa de María José y lo rompe contra el suelo. María José conduce como una loca para llegar a tiempo junto a Miguel. Es de noche, es muy tarde, pisa a fondo. De repente, ve a otro ciclista (Manuel Alexander). Para evitar otro atropello, María José pega un volantazo y ella y el coche se caen por un puente abajo.El cadáver de María José se queda como colgado cabeza abajo. El ciclista tiene la luz de la lámpara rota, y sólo se enciende a ratos. El ciclista mira la bombillita apesumbrado, y luego no puede evitar mirar el cadáver de María José, con los ojos abiertos como platos. El ciclista sale huyendo de la escena del accidente. | murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0091605 | Der Name der Rose | The movie opens with the arrival of Franciscan monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his novice assistant, Adso of Melk (Christian Slater) at a Benedictine Abbey in Northern Italy in 1327. They are there to attend an important conference.The abbey is in fear, however, over the recent death of one of their young monks, a brilliant illustrator. He was found killed by an impact at the base of a cliff outside the abbey, but there was no access to the roof or through a sealed window from which he could have fallen. Many of the monks fear that there can be only an evil, supernatural explanation.The Abbot (Michael Lonsdale) asks William to help solve the mystery as he is known to be a man of great intellect and a former investigator for the inquisition. William examines the evidence and comes to the conclusion the monk fell from a tower in a different section of the abbey and body rolled downhill to where it was found. He also believes it was suicide as there was no other reason for the monk to be in the tower that time of night and a murderer would not have bothered to carry the body up the stairs to get rid of it.With the Abbot assuaged the conference begins, but immediately another death takes place. A Greek translator (Urs Althaus) is found upside down and head first in a huge pot. When the body is cleaned William finds that the man has blackened fingers on his right hand and a blackened tongue.William and Adso try and examine the desks of the two dead men, but are blocked from seeing the translator's desk by the assistant librarian (Michael Habeck). Later that night, after the monks are done with their work, the two return to see what the assistant librarian was hiding. The assistant librarian is still there, however, chuckling over a book. Upon hearing their approach he takes the book and hides. On the translator's desk William finds a cryptic note that is partly written in invisible ink. It seems to give directions to a secret location in the adjacent library.The assistant librarian tosses a tool across the room distracting the two and escapes. William and Adso go after him and split up to search the Abbey. Adso wanders into the storehouse and hides when monk Remigio da Varagine (Helmut Qualtinger) checks the area for intruders. Adso is surprised when he finds a teenage girl (Valentina Vargas) with him in his hiding place. He is even more surprised when she makes passionate love to him before disappearing into the night.Meanwhile William is outside engaging hunchback monk Salvatore (Ron Perlman) in conversation. Salvatore is a half-wit who, along with Remigio, is a former member of a heretical cult. William finds this out and uses the information to force their cooperation. Salvatore tells him what he has seen happen between the illustrator, translator and assistant librarian.The next day the body of the assistant librarian is found by the abbey herbalist (Elya Baskin) submerged in a bathtub. This body too has blackened fingers and tongue. William goes to the Abbott with what he believes is the explanation for the deaths. He believes that the illustrator traded sexual favors with the assistant librarian to get access to a forbidden book: a comedy by Aristotle. Overwhelmed by guilt over what he had done, the illustrator took his own life, but not before he has passed the secret of where to find the book to his friend, the Greek Translator. The Greek translator also read the book, and later the assistant librarian. Both died of a "book that kills". The assistant librarian put the Greek translator's body into the pot to throw suspicion away from himself, before dying while trying to take a bath.The Abbott, underwhelmed by this explanation, burns the paper which is Williams only evidence and tells him he has concluded that he has no choice but to call in the Papal inquisition to get to the bottom of things. Bernardo Gui (F. Murray Abraham), an investigator who nearly got William executed in the past, will be arriving to take charge.William had asked the librarian (Volker Prechtel) for access to the library, but it was denied. Later he and Adso pressure Remigio to help them sneak in and find that the massive library tower is a labyrinth of rooms and passages. They use a copy of the directions to locate what they believe is the entrance to a secret room, but they fail to figure out how to open it.The next day William is interrupted during the conference by the Abbey herbalist who whispers to William that he has found the secret book hidden behind a jar in his building. Before William can excuse himself from the conference, however, the herbalist is killed by the librarian and the book taken back.That night a fire erupts in the storeroom and Bernardo catches Salvatore there with the teenage girl. He concludes that the girl is a witch, the monk has made a deal with the Satan and they are responsible for the deaths. William, however, realizes that it is more likely that the girl was exchanging sexual favors with Salvatore for food. Despite this Bernardo decides to sentence the girl, Salvatore and Remigio (by virtue of his earlier membership in the heretical cult) to burn at the stake. Because he refused to confirm Bernardo's pronouncement, William himself will be brought up on charges.During vespers that afternoon the librarian keels over and dies. His fingers and tongue are black. In the resulting confusion William and Adso manage to slip away from their guards and get back into the tower library. They hope to find evidence that will force the executions to be halted. They find their way to the secret door and solve the riddle of how to open it. Proceeding into the secret room they find Jorge de Burgos (Feodor Chaliapin Jr.), a blind and humorless senior member of the Abbey, with the secret book. Jorge invites William and Adso to examine it. William does, but puts on a glove first (though Jorge cannot see this as he is blind). William then tells Jorge that he knows that Jorge hates the book (as it is comedy and by his lights, evil) and has placed a deadly poison on the pages. That is the reason that all who read the book died (from licking their hand to turn the leaves). When William tells Jorge he is wearing a glove, Jorge snatches the book back and in the ensuing chase a candle is knocked over setting the library on fire. Jorge hides and while hiding starts to eat pages of the book.Outside the Abbey the girl, Salvatore and Remigio have been tied to stakes. Before the girl's can be ignited, however, Bernardo, the monks and guards notice the library tower is on fire. They run back to the Abbey while the girl is rescued by her peasant friends. It is too late for Salvatore and Remigio, however, and they burn to death. Bernardo, seeing the library on fire, decides things are out of control and it is time to leave the Abbey post-haste. The peasants are still mad at his sentence on the girl, however, and topple his wagon off the road and down a cliff where he is fatally impaled on a farm implement.While chasing Jorge, Adso and William are separated. William orders Adso out of the building as he and Jorge are apparently trapped by the fire. Jorge dies of poisoning from the poisoned ink that he ate. Adso makes it out and, at the last minute, so does William after having rescued a handful of important books. They depart the smoldering Abbey and on the way Adso sees the girl one last time. The narrator, Adso in his old age, reports that she was his only terrenal love, but he never knew her name. The credits roll. | romantic, mystery, murder, flashback | train | imdb | null |
tt1409024 | Men in Black 3 | The Men in Black are a secret law-enforcement agency that is responsible for policing the extraterrestrial life hidden on Earth, as well as protecting the world from any aliens who attempt to destroy/invade the planet.The film begins on LunarMax, a MiB prison situated on the moon. A one-armed criminal, a Boglodite named Boris the Animal, stages a jailbreak (along the way killing Obadiah Price, a fellow inmate he'd made a deal with). His intention is to rewrite history, with Agent K, the one who arrested and imprisoned him, being a major factor in his plan...On Earth, Agent K and his partner Agent J cover up an arrival of an alien spacecraft, and hear of the prison break. At a Chinese restaurant thats a local haunt for aliens, Agent K discovers Boris (who had previously gone to see Obadiah's son Jeffrey) and the two fight, with J joining in. K is upset that the alien he should have killed is out loose again; he deems it his own affair and forbids J to help him, suspending him. A puzzled J checks up on Boris: he appeared in 1969 to stop the prevention of the ArcNet Shield, a device that K deployed to protect the world from harm (but which killed off the Boglodites, as they can only survive by feeding off worlds). He managed to kill on 15 July 1969 an alien named Roman the Fabulous and on the following day... at this point O cuts him off and tells him not to investigate any further. That night, as K waits for Boris with a gun in his hand, he suddenly vanishes...The next morning, J discovers that he has a new partner, the liberated Agent AA, and that K has been dead for forty years (having been killed by Boris the Animal on 16th July 1969). O notices he is suffering from headaches and craves chocolate milk, which she explains are symptoms of time-fracture (aka the crime of interfering with history, which Obadiah Price was imprisoned for). At this point a Boglodite armada appears; J learns that there was nothing to hold them at bay, with no K to deploy the ArcNet. He theorizes that Boris went back in time to 1969 to kill K, thus changing history to what it was, and proposes to follow him; he heads to Jeffrey Price, who had provided Boris a time-jump device, and gets another one from him, and activates it by jumping off the Chrysler Building just as the Boglodites begin their assault...J arrives in 15 July 1969, with the intention to catch Boris as he is about to murder Roman the Fabulous. However, he is delayed from navigating the era of 1969 (most notably by an altercation with two racist cops), and gets there too late to stop Romans murder by 1969 Boris. He encounters 1969 Agent K, who subdues him and brings him to MiB headquarters. J tells K nothing, but when threatened with getting his memory erased he tells K part of the truth: he came from the future in pursuit of another time-traveler whos trying to change history.K and J follow a trail of clues to Andy Warhols Factory complex, where Warhol is revealed to be MiB Agent W. He notifies them of Griffin, an Arcanian being who has the ability to foresee all timelines and futures; Griffins planet was destroyed by the Boglodites, so he came to live on Earth and brought with him a device which will prevent the Boglodites from consuming the Earth. 1969 Boris arrives at the Factory in search of Griffin, who makes a quick exit with Boris in fast pursuit (to Js displeasure, although K doesnt seem to get too worried).J and K eventually track down Griffin at Shea Stadium, where he is foreseeing the future victory for the Mets baseball team. 1969 Boris appears and captures Griffin, but J and K are able to rescue Griffin, although Boris gets away. Griffin gives them the ArcNet and explains it can only work in zero gravity: K gets the idea to head to Cape Canaveral on 16th July 1969 (the day the Apollo 11 ship launched), and attach it to the spacecraft. He is immovable in this plan, so J reveals to him his imminent death, to Ks shock. Griffin explains to J that for history to work out fine K must be the one to deploy the ArcNet; J asks if there is any chance K will survive, and Griffin is affirmative, but somberly notes that at any point of death occurring, it will occur. Meanwhile, present Boris arrives in 1969 and meets his younger self...K, J and Griffin arrive at Cape Canaveral, where they are accosted by a Colonel guarding the facility. Griffin instructs them to tell the truth to succeed, which they do; the Colonel doesnt believe them, but when Griffin shows him the future he changes his mind and assists J and K in reaching the shuttle. Griffin takes his leave at this point, advising J that when K blows Boriss arm off the timeline will be restored back to normal and he can return home.J and K confront the two Borises, who were waiting for them at the shuttle launching pad. K and 1969 Boris fight, while J takes on the current Boris. J is mortally wounded by Boris, but manages to knock Boris into the launching shuttles exhaust blast; he then time-jumps to before Boriss attack, managing to repeat himself and avoid Boriss attacks. Meanwhile, K blows off 1969 Boriss arm and manages to attach the ArcNet to the shuttle as it launches.In the aftermath of the launch, as J is about to time-jump home he witnesses from afar K thanking the Colonel for his assistance and offering him a job with MiB. Then 1969 Boris appears and kills the Colonel, but K kills him instantly (1969 Boris expected to be arrested for the next 40 years and then go back in time, but J had previously advised K to straightaway execute Boris when he surrenders). Then K witnesses a young boy, the Colonels son, arrive looking for his father; K sadly neuralyzes the boy and takes him for a walk. A shocked J realizes that that boy was him, and that K has played a vital part in his life. Upon returning to the present, he tells K he knows what happened and understands, and K says it was a privilege to have J as his partner.The film ends with Griffin happily observing that alls well that ended well... then he sees K forgot to leave a tip, and foresees a meteor smashing into the Earth. Then K returns and leaves the tip, and with relief Griffin foresees a satellite appear in the meteors path, halting it and keeping the Earth safe. | entertaining, murder, violence, plot twist, humor, action, revenge, alternate history | train | imdb | He can perfectly imitate the facial expression and voice of Agent K and it's a lot better when he's around.The plot sounds like a generic time traveling story, but there are imaginative and wonderful sequences in these.
I needed to see that.In this film, a vicious alien villain known as Boris the Animal escapes from his prison on the moon, where he had been locked up since being arrested by Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) back in 1969.
The younger Agent O was played by a cutie named Alice Eve, but she certainly did not convince us that she would look or act like Emma Thompson when she grows older.I must say that this film was really a most entertaining one.
But the fun action sequences with some exciting futuristic vehicles and weaponry, the imaginative and repulsive aliens made by no less than the master monster-maker Rick Baker, the thrilling integration of the historic Apollo 11 lift-off, and the touching revelation of K's big secret made this a very good and enjoyable movie to watch.
The result is a film that returns to its roots and gives audiences the chance to relive much of what they first enjoyed – a smart, sci-fi, buddy comedy that embraces everything weird and wonderful about the unknown universe.In his first cinematic role in nearly 4 years, Will Smith's Agent J is the usual charming, witty wiseass we expect him to be.
Still teamed up with the laconic Agent K (wrinkly Tommy Lee Jones) he is no closer to cracking his older partners deadpan demeanour but their relationship issues take a back seat when a nemesis from Kay's past, Boris the animal, turns up to exact revenge for having been imprisoned on the moon 40 years ago.
So chameleon-like is his performance that you forget it's him and actually completely believe it's just a younger version of Tommy Lee Jones that you're seeing.The films primary achievement and a true signal of its return to form though are the scenes set in the past.
If that doesn't make you forgive all the wrongs that the sequel did and embrace this film as one of the years better movie franchise offerings the only thing that might work on you is a neuralizer..
No matter, they are still a barrel of fun in this three-quel that comes as more of a surprise than a treat that we have been waiting for.And with Barry Sonnenfeld back at the helm of this troubled and delayed US$215-million production, it is a nostalgic film in more ways than one.Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as agents J and K of the secret Men in Black organization that monitors alien activity on Earth.
Since only J remembers K's existence, it's up to him to venture through time, look for a young K (now played by Josh Brolin) and stop Boris from destroying the world once and for all.I have never been a fan of time-travel plots and I still don't like them.
The Smith & Jones pairing is augmented by Brolin who gives a good representation of how K would be in the Sixties, with most of the sequences accompanied by popular Sixties hits on the soundtrack.One of the staple jokes of the MiB series is the celebrity cameos that suggest alien origins.
This film is about Agent J going back in time to rescue Agent K from being murdered by aliens.My friends say that "Men in Black III" is a brainless comedy, you can go in just for a few laughs and switch your brain off.
When MIB-II was finally out in 2002, I wondered why it took so long as Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith seemed to work so well together, and their characters had that just right mix of complementing but contradicting personalities.Jones has long been a favorite of mine with some other highlight performances being the delightfully crazy villain in Under Siege (1992) and the hard nosed cop in The Fugitive (1993) and U.S. Marshalls (1998).
Smith follows the formula as "J" although the interaction with old "K" is a tad forced.The pleasant realization is that Josh Brolin performs admirably as the past, younger "K." Brolin is certainly a fine actor in his own right, but his effective portrayal of Jones' character is nothing short of remarkable.
It was 1997 when Men in Black first burst onto the big screen featuring a successful pairing of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as unlikely partners in the protection of Earth against the scum of the universe, with action, special effects and generous doses of comedy rolled into one.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfield, they returned five years later for a sequel, and chances for a third film got hovered around for the longest time, finally taking up to a decade before it materialized, taking advantage of the needless 3D format to deliver the latest installment of the popular series.And it's still a lot of fun with the return of Agent Jay (Will Smith) and Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) in a new adventure set around the break out of the villainous alien Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement) from a lunar maximum prison to take revenge on Kay for the severing of an arm and its imprisonment, not to mention also wiping out its compatriots and protecting the Earth from annihilation.
Yes, Kay is credited for plenty of work done back in his heydays of the 60s, and we're about to find out a lot more about his deadpan character, which is almost always the punching bag for Jay, who makes it his mission to reverse what Boris had set out to do, which is to travel back in time and taking out Kay.It's MIB meets Back to the Future with its time travelling element back to the 60s, armed with only limited knowledge of his partner's whereabouts, no thanks to information being classified over and above Jay's pay grade, despite 14 years of dedicated service.
The story by Ethan Cohen, David Koepp, Jeff Nathanson and Michael Soccio proved to be a winner, steering clear of having too many cooks with potential of spoiling the broth, making that time travel bit pretty much a trip down nostalgic lane, filled with incidents and prominent characters from history, such as Andy Warhol (Bill Hader) and the Apollo 11 crew, and the tongue in cheek treatment with aliens being very much leaping from typical 60s television and films.This makes up more than its share of laughs and inside jokes that continue in the same spirit from the earlier films, even poking fun at the racial divide of the time, which provided a fair challenge for Jay as he meets up with the younger Kay (Josh Brolin) who has to be convinced that his new found friend is his partner from the future, and have to work together to rein in the 1969 version of Boris the Animal.
Tommy Lee Jones made way for Josh Brolin to own the character of Jay, and in truth Brolin does a remarkable job of closely mimicking Jones, aptly adding a lot more to the back story of the legendary MIB who has his fair share of one liners, but being a little bit less stern than Jay had grown accustomed to.Characterization also got pushed to the forefront with a deeper exploration into each of Jay and Kay's characters, backgrounds and their friendship, and this helped the film tremendously, instead of being a mediocre effort relying solely on the actors charisma and washing everything down in CG glory.
Alien designs also got a spruce up, looking far more menacing, and disgusting even, with Boris the Animal possessing and using deadly force that I'm rather surprised at for a PG rated film.Will Smith shows that he hasn't lost his edge and still has what it takes, even after being absent from the big screen for some 4 years now (Seven Pounds and Hancock were his last outing in 2008), and still comes off as a natural, and likable as Agent Jay, with a lot more polish as an MIB veteran as compared to when he got first recruited.
Tommy Lee Jones got only a supporting role this time round, with Josh Brolin left responsible to carry the role of the younger K for the most parts of the film.
And joining the cast in prominent, though limited roles, include the likes of Emma Thompson as Agent O, taking over as the new MIB Chief with the passing of Zed, Alice Eve playing the younger O, and both Michael Stuhlbarg and Mike Colter adding depth to the MIB mythos.Still, with every time travel movie, there are paradoxes that have to be consciously ignored for everything to work.
Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) are still partners, working for the Men in Black, a secret government organization which monitors all alien life on Earth.
Emma Thompson will play take-charge MIB operative Agent Oh, who is monitoring a prison breakout.The first of the Men In Black franchise was a great movie.
So much of Men in Black III does.Will Smith is on good form, maintains his perpetually young appearance, gives the cheeky chappy performance we've come to expect and (mostly) accept and carries the film without inspiring us; Tommy Lee Jones is predictably miserable/stoical/deadpan – delete as you see fit; Barry Sonnenfield returns to direct using the same map and instructions; Danny Elfman revisits the series with his third score in typical, entertaining but, in this instance, not overly inspiring fashion.The surprises come, firstly and in a minor way, from Emma Thompson, who fills the gap left by Rip Torn's absent Zed as Agent O.
It's too bad to since it has good actors in it: Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith, Emma Thompson and Josh Brolin.
Children watching this film would love the action scenes and the one line zingers but would be confused about most other things in this movie (especially the 1969 references and others).The film can best be described in this dialogue between Will Smith and some guy (I'd tell you his name but I forget and he's a worthless character anyway) who has the time control device.
Another continuity problem is how K has this big secret room and some huge personal plan to defend earth from aliens that no one else knows of, something that anyone with average intelligence would share with others or at least SOMEONE before going into retirement and erasing his memory like he did in MIB 2.Other than that the story feels like a mix of the two previous movies and adds nothing new, interesting or exciting.
I like Josh Brolin and Emma Thompson, I do, I really do.I enjoyed the first "Men in Black" movie quite a bit and while the second one was not good, the reviews seemed to indicate that they had gotten back on track here.But the experience of watching this moving was like paying to watch oral surgery when there isn't enough knockout gas in the whole world to stop the pain.
Tired story...one villain, a few aliens "thrown-in", Will Smith trying his best to work with a crummy script, Tommy Lee looking bored with the whole, tired mess, and Josh Brolin, whose Tommy Lee shtick grows tiresome, and the always dependable Emma Thompson totally out of her element (with a laughable hair-do) and absolutely no match for Zed, make for another piece of Hollywood junk that was simply made to get our price of admission, Oh yes, I almost forgot, gratuitous 3-D, which could not save this absurd, hollow movie.
Ye Will Smith has too go back in time too save Tommy Lee Jone's life in the 60's, and the younger Jones is perfectly played there by a great Josh Brolin.I like the new direction this movie went in, but it's still a diminishing sequel.
MIB III, so after the previous adventures of agent J and K a alien that K put away 40 years ago breaks out of prison and goes back in time to try to stop K from putting him away and as a result taking over the earth.Now what you must understand is that this move had a lot of potential.
Years later, he escapes with vengeance over K and kills him by time travelling to the past.Men In Black III leaps back in time to 1969 just before the launch of the Appolo where Agent J (Will Smith) has to save the life of Agent K (Tomy Lee Jones) from the spidery hands of Boris by killing him from the past.
Will smith goes back in time to stop an alien assassinating his best friend (Josh Brolin) in 1968.Actors and Actresses Will Smith – Agent J Tommy Lee Jones – Agent K Jeffery Clement – Boris the Animal Emma Thompson – Agent O Josh Brolin – Young Agent K Mike Colter – Colonel Special Effects I think the special effects were OK but I've seen much better effects in Skyfall.
But, at least, this high concept blockbuster brings to its third sequel the clever concept of time travel and its most creative idea of casting Josh Brolin as Tommy Lee Jones' younger self.
The only two actors that come off unscathed are the aforementioned Brolin, who steals the film with his uncanny impersonation of Agent K which produces some needed laughs, and Michael Stuhlbarg who delivers some emotional heft and boyish charm as a new character named Griffin who can see the future.I suppose that Men in Black III may be a mindless diversion from some moviegoers.
Two new actors join the team - Josh Brolin doing a fine job as a young version of Tommy Lee Jones' character (yes, good guess, there is some time travel involved) and Emma Thompson who is always lovely to see, even when she has a too thin part as here.
I found myself chuckling through most of the scenes where Smith plays off Tommy Lee's deadpan style that worked so well in previous MIBs.Josh Brolin is superb as Young Agent K, adopting Tommy Lee Jones mannerisms and inflections with spooky skill.
It was sophisticated and good enough for a female corporate leader.As seen in earlier MIB films, there were scenes of cameos appearing in the movies like the late Michael Jackson (or perhaps his double) in MEN IN BLACK 2.
There was also moments where you could see Lady Gaga appearing on an overhead monitor in the MIB Headquarters; and if you're attentive enough you would be able to spot a moment of renowned director Tim Burton (whose dull DARK SHADOWS certainly bore me to tears).All in all, although MEN IN BLACK 3 was so much better than the dull DARK SHADOWS it somehow felt nothing special to me.But credit has to be given for ending of the film, which was probably the most original part of the movie, as the real relationship between Will Smith's 'Agent J' and Tommy Lee Jones' 'Agent K' was revealed and it came full circle as to link their true relationship.Whatever it is if you have some money to spare and are dying to see MEN IN BLACK 3, see it for the blockbuster aspect of it.
On the other hand i quite like Tommy Lee Jones, though i wouldn't classify him as a "first grade actor"; also, i found MIB 2 quite lacking compared to the first, which wasn't perfect, but it was OK as a funny, spoofy movie and a good watch for Saturday night..
It gets messy, needless to say, and life as we know it once again becomes a key pin the the events that follow in this movie.Josh Brolin play a young Kay, and he sure did a good study on Tommy Lee's character even down to the inflections of the voice.
3D - hardly any notable,don't bother 2D will do just fine plot- OK visual effects- did expect much more Boris,the bad guy -really weak character good fun - I felt it was a bit too much too tiring Will Smith only Josh Brolin kept this together,he was a bit of fresh air.
Agents K and J return and J has to travel to the past where he must prevent the younger K from being murdered.I'm glad both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones returned because it's not Men in Black without them.
Heck traveling back in time and seeing MIB in the 60's was good, and Brolin nailed it as a young Tommy Lee Jones.
That was something that I really enjoyed.Again, you have Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones returning to their roles, and then Josh Brolin really pulled off stepping into the shoes of portraying a younger version of Agent K.
Date: August.12, 2012 -First Watch- Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return in the third installment of 'Men in Black' as Agents J and K.
All in all, seeing this movie made me feel like my seven-year- old self, in awe of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones for having excellent chemistry on screen and making me laugh almost every ten minutes.
Usually reluctant to watching most movie sequels, I was pleasantly surprised and found the third and last Men in Black is now my favorite and will recommend it to as many people as possible who enjoy a good laugh and plenty of alien guts..
Although he plays a key part in the story, Jones actually doesn't get that much screen time in the film, which is quite a shame as I really enjoy his role as the monotone agent who shows little emotion.
Back for a third time in 15 years, Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) show they can do this in their sleep ...
Men in Black 3 is every ounce as good as the two previous movies.It is nice to see Will Smith return after being off screen for about 3 years, he always does a great job. |
tt0112462 | Batman Forever | In Gotham City, a few years after defeating the Penguin, the crime fighter Batman stops a hostage situation caused by a criminal known as Two-Face, the alter ego of the former district attorney Harvey Dent, but Two-Face escapes and remains at large. Edward Nygma, a researcher at Wayne Enterprises who idolizes Bruce Wayne, has developed a device that can beam television into a person's brain. Bruce offers to let Nygma come up with schematics for the device and set up a meeting with his assistant. However, after Nygma demands an answer from him immediately, Bruce rejects the invention, believing it to be too close to mind manipulation. After killing his supervisor Fred Stickley, Nygma resigns and seeks retaliation against Bruce for rejecting his invention and begins to send him riddles. A news report reveals how Harvey Dent became Two-Face: when he was prosecuting a mob boss named Sal Maroni, Maroni threw acid on Dent's face, disfiguring half of it. Batman tried to save him, but failed. After the incident, Dent seeks to kill Batman for failing to save him. Bruce meets Chase Meridian, a psychiatrist who is obsessed with Batman, and invites her to come with him to a circus event. After a performance from the circus performers, The Flying Graysons, Two-Face arrives and threatens to blow up the circus unless Batman comes forward and surrenders his life to him. The Flying Graysons attempt to stop Two-Face, but they get killed by as a result. However, Dick Grayson, the youngest member, survives as he climbs to the roof and throws Two-Face's bomb into a river.
Bruce invites the orphaned Dick to stay at Wayne Manor. Dick, still troubled by the murder of his family, intends to kill Two-Face and avenge his family. When he discovers that Bruce is Batman, he demands that Bruce help him find Two-Face so that he can kill him, but Bruce refuses. Meanwhile, Nygma turns himself into a criminal called the Riddler and forms an alliance with Two-Face. The two steal capital in order to mass-produce Nygma's brainwave device. At Nygma's business party, Nygma discovers Bruce's alter ego using the brainwave device. Two-Face arrives and crashes the party. He nearly kills Batman, but Dick manages to save him. Meanwhile, Chase has fallen in love with Bruce, which surpasses her obsession with Batman, but she soon discovers that they are one and the same. Bruce decides to stop being Batman in order to have a normal life with Chase and to prevent Dick from murdering Two-Face. Dick angrily runs away while Bruce and Chase have dinner together in the manor. The Riddler and Two-Face arrive and attack Wayne Manor. The Riddler destroys the Batcave and kidnaps Chase, while leaving an injured Bruce another riddle.
Using the riddles, Bruce and his butler, Alfred, find out the Riddler's secret identity. Dick returns and becomes Batman's sidekick, Robin. Batman and Robin head to Riddler and Two-Face's lair, Claw Island, where they are separated. Robin encounters Two-Face and nearly kills him. Realizing that he does not have it in him to murder, Robin spares him. Two-Face gets the upper hand and captures Robin. Batman arrives at the lair, where Robin and Chase are held as hostages. The Riddler gives Batman a chance to save only one hostage. But instead, Batman destroys the Riddler's brainwave collecting device, causing the Riddler to suffer a mental breakdown. Batman manages to save Robin and Chase. Two-Face corners the trio and determines their fate with the flip of a coin, but Batman throws a handful of identical coins in the air, causing Two-Face to stumble and fall to his death. The Riddler is taken to Arkham Asylum and imprisoned, but he claims he knows who Batman is. Chase is asked to consult on the case, but Nygma says that he himself is Batman, due to his damaged memories. Chase meets Bruce outside and tells him that his secret is safe before parting ways. Bruce resumes his crusade as Batman with Robin as his partner to protect Gotham from crime. | comedy, murder, violence, atmospheric, flashback, good versus evil, insanity, action, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1186367 | Ninja Assassin | The Ozunu Clan, led by the ruthless Lord Ozunu (Sho Kosugi), trains orphans from around the world to become the ultimate ninja assassins. One of these orphans, Raizo (Rain), was forced to train as an assassin for the clan. The training was both brutal and hard especially for him because he was to be the next successor of the clan.
The only kindness he was ever shown was from a young kunoichi named Kiriko, with whom he eventually develops a romantic bond. As time goes on, Kiriko becomes disenchanted with the Ozunu's routine and wishes to abandon it for freedom. One rainy night, Kiriko decides to make her escape and encourages Raizo to join her; however he decides to stay. Branded as a traitor, Kiriko was caught and later executed in front of Raizo by their elder ninja brother Takeshi, impaling her through the heart.
As a result of Kiriko's death, Raizo begins to harbor resentment and doubt towards the Ozunu. Kiriko's death opens his eyes and he begins to see faults within the clan and sees that what he's been taught to do wasn't right. Some time later, Raizo is instructed by Lord Ozunu to complete his first assassination. Afterwards, Raizo meets the rest of his clan atop a city skyscraper in Berlin. There he is instructed by Lord Ozunu to execute another kunoichi traitor like Kiriko. Upon remembering Kiriko's death and finally having had enough, Raizo cracks. He rebels against Lord Ozunu by cutting his face with a kyoketsu-shoge and engages in combat against his fellow ninja kin. Barely surviving, he falls off the roof of the skyscraper and into a river. For the years that are to come, Raizo recovers and trains on his own to intervene and foil all of Ozunu's assassination attempts in hopes of bringing down the clan that took everything from him.
Meanwhile, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) has been investigating money-linked political murders and finds out that they are possibly connected to the Ozunu. She defies her superior, Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles), and retrieves secret agency files to find out more about the investigation. Mika meets Raizo and convinces him to see Maslow for protection as well as to provide evidence against the Ozunu. However, Raizo is arrested by Maslow and abducted by agents from Europol for interrogation.
Although feeling betrayed, Mika is assured by Maslow that he is still on her side and gives her a tracking device for emergencies. The Ozunu ninja infiltrate the Europol safehouse where Raizo is being held in an attempt to kill him and everybody inside. Mika frees Raizo and they both manage to escape, but Raizo suffers near-fatal wounds. Mika then takes him to a motel to hide. Resting in the motel, Mika implants the tracking device into Raizo, as the ninjas remain in pursuit. Unable to fend off the Ozunu, she hides outside the motel until Special Forces arrive to help her.
By the time they arrive, the ninjas have already kidnapped Raizo, bringing him before Lord Ozunu for prosecution. During transport back to the Ozunu, Raizo uses his ninja techniques to heal his own wounds. Europol special forces and tactical teams led by Maslow storm the secluded Ozunu retreat (nestled in the mountains) using the tracking device on Raizo.
Turning the night into day by saturating the sky above with powerful flares, the military forces are able to fight the ninjas on their own terms. In the confusion, Mika frees Raizo from his bindings, where he proceeds to kill Takeshi and confront Lord Ozunu in a sword duel. Mika interferes to help, but is stabbed by Lord Ozunu. Enraged, Raizo uses a 'shadow blending' technique for the first time to distract and kill Lord Ozunu. Mika, seemingly fatally wounded, is in fact saved by a quirk of birth: her heart is actually on the opposite side of her chest. After Europol leaves, Raizo stays behind to tend to the ruins of the Ozunu retreat. He later climbs the same wall Kiriko did while trying to escape in the past, and looks out at the surrounding countryside, recognizing his freedom for the first time. | dark, boring, cruelty, murder, gothic, neo noir, violence, flashback, good versus evil, revenge | train | wikipedia | First off I would like to say that anyone who thinks this movie sucks because it has very little plot is an idiot.Now let me tell you what Ninja Assassin isn't.Its not a serious thinking movie, it's not a Gandhi, it's not a Saw type movie.And it isn't a Twilight that's for sure.The reason why Ninja Assassin is so friggin cool is because you know that the people making this movie had one thing in mind...
This is by far the best ninja movie I have seen.Right from the very beginning this movie is up in fast pace, action-filled and soaking in blood.
Of course the story is straight forward and have no surprise twists to the plot - but an action movie of this caliber doesn't need plot twists.The martial arts choreography and fighting scenes are brilliant, fast and hard punching.
And also, again why would a Japanese clan take in non-Japanese children and train as ninjas?Anyway, the cast of the movie is good, and it is refreshing to see new faces to the martial arts scene.
If the Wachowski brothers' Speed Racer was the ultimate tribute to family friendly classic cartoons, Ninja Assassin is the ultimate tribute to 80s martial arts B movies like "Enter the Ninja", video games like "Ninja Gaiden" and the Ultra-violent anime genre titles like Ninja Scroll.(Already noticed the name "ninja" in all the titles mentioned?
Raizo (played by Korean star Rain) is an orphan raised by a cruel master Lord Ozunu(played by Sho Kosugi, famous for his starring roles in, what else, 80s ninja movies like "Enter the ninja".) to be part of a secret clan of ninjas that have been responsible for countless assassinations over the centuries.
Now on the run, hunted by both his former comrades and a special international task force, Raizo finds an unlikely ally in the form of Mika Coretti, a Europol agent who is close to exposing the secret existence of the Ninjas and hence targeted for assassination.Simply put, the unoriginal storyline is highly predictable and filled with B movie clichés from stem to stern.
The acting is passable; nothing better than the level of a TV series, but the script manages to have a couple of witty lines of dialog.Though Ninja Assassin is no work of storytelling perfection, it delivers what it promises: lots of fights and lots of violence.
Limbs are lobbed off, stomachs are split open and heads are busted as the movie slashes its way from one fight scene to the next, delivering scenes of wicked weapons and bloody carnage that make even Friday the 13th and Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like a tame PG film.
Blood flows like rivers as Raizo proceeds to disembowel enemies en masse; definitely not for the squeamish.On a whole, Ninja Assassin feels like a hack-and-slash video game come to life from the first skirmish to the climatic showdown involving modern day special forces taking on an army of ninja warriors .
I was really worried about them messing the genre up by being too modern..but i think it was a really good effort...i'm really into a lot of old school samurai, king fu, and martial art movies, and this one was about as good as a modern day ninja film could be...lot's of gore and violence, which is great to me, simply because too many movie water down the violence in an attempt to draw in younger audiences, but this film knew exactly who their target audience was...and received a standing ovation as a result...if u are expecting something fun, definitely check it out......
Raizo (Rain) just escaped from his clan and wants to protect Mika, one of the two agents, as a way to redeem himself from all the sins he's done.As this story spins and runs, we get to see a young orphan (Raizo) grow up in a Ninja clan lead by his sadistic master who brutalizes his students to prepare them for the path that a ninja have to walk.All in all this movie was hands down an awesome Ninjitsu experience, with enough blood to keep fans satisfied.8/10 !For information on all martial arts visit my website: MartialArtScene.
Sho Kosugi is excellent as the master ninja, and a great choice for throwback fans of much better Ninja films like Revenge of the Ninja (last time I saw it I was 8 years old so...) .
Rain (the hero ninja) barely says a word through the movie and when he does he sounds a lot like another immortal swordsman, Christopher Lambert.Unfortunately the Wachowski siblings seem to be getting much worse at special effects.
Each decapitation is enhanced with buckets of blood that will make any Tarantino fan giddy with dark and kind of disturbing joy.If you're looking for a realistic Ninja movie (I know I am) I guess you'll have to Watch Leon again and pretend he's Asian.
But you don't come into a movie called "Ninja Assassin" looking for Mamet-like dialogue, do you?
And when he's laying waste to dozens upon dozens of pajama clad ninjas in some fairly slick & well-choreographed fight scenes (that comes maybe 50 minutes into the movie) you almost find yourself enjoying the film.
You'll then realize how stupid all of this is, and how there's absolutely nothing entertaining about CGI fight scenes in a live-action martial arts movie.
Tho there are kids in it doing martial arts (which are pretty good actors as well) Don't bring yours to see this movie, unless you don't mind them watching the hyper violence, which the public I screened the movie with enjoyed quite much; those swords are pretty sharp, trust me.by the end the audience had applauded, cheered, LOL, and where very quiet in those sad moments of Raizo's childhood.Certainly recommend it..
Faust at least attempted to analyze the plot of the movie, although the reviewer believes that plot was miniscule, the writer at least acknowledged the existence of one, most reviewers of this film claimed to not be able to find a plot to "Ninja Assassins".
But sadly, I was incorrect.After a ridiculously awesome and gory opening scene setting the stage for what is to come, Ninja Assassin jumps headfirst into the story of Raizo (Rain), a ninja living in Berlin who wants to claim revenge on the makeshift ninja orphanage that raised him.
And even looking at it simply as a genre flick made simply for people to either laugh at its stupidity during a drinking game at home, or the type of movie people go to see to be wowed by the sheer amount of carnage on screen, it simply fails to live up to any measure of decency that any good movie should.I was impressed by how much story the filmmakers manage to stuff into the film, but after an hour of watching a half baked storyline padded out with heavily effects driven action sequences, the film just became more boring than anything else.
Some scenes are just so horribly written that one wonders why anyone ever thought it was a good idea to make this movie.For anyone who argues that the action sequences that drive the film are what make the film acceptable, think again.
If you are an hardcore action lover who enjoys humor + cables + sword + blood , then Ninja Assassin is a sure watch.
I think I expected a bit of a throwback to the classic 80s ninja movies but it really took it beyond that realm and made into something new and awesome.Director James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) took a simple script and created a serious take on a laughable genre, providing great action scenes that made me actually clap out loud with the rest of the audience - an amazing feat if you consider the lack of any recognizable actors..
"Ninja Assassin" is a gore and cartoonish action movie that follows the violence of Takashi Miike.
The plot is flawed, the characters are poorly developed but the action makes this movie worthwhile watching with violent fights like in a video-game, great choreography and lots of gore.
Watching a few scenes near the end of this movie felt like an anime movie come to life in live action format.
Ninja assassin was an excellent action movie.
They paint a beautifully intricate personal story that richly enhances this "action film," taking it to a higher, noteworthy level.All that we know and didn't know about Ninjas is illustrated in epic form while the true-to-classic fight scenes are strong, athletic, and artistic with steely precision.
A wafer thin plot martial arts movie with pretty well choreographed action scenes.
Look out for the climax scene with cool martial arts display with a background of fire and flames.Minuses: Little or no story Nil character development Silly dialogues Nothing new or innovative in terms of action ( we have seen the same thing many times before)I give it a 5/10....
Well after the opening sequence, I was reassured.The good thing about a movie called "Ninja Assassin" is that no normal person would expect any kind of plot.
The fight sequenced are beautifully choreographed with buckets of blood & dismembered body parts; so if you are the least bit squeamish, look for a quiet love story because this isn't it.James McTeigue previously directed one of my favorite movies, "V For Vendetta" which is much better than this but he still proves to be a very talented director, especially when working with the Wachowski's who were producers of Ninja Assassin.The main cast members, Rain as Raiza(the hero) and Naomie Harris as Mika(damsel in distress) are both very good in their roles.
But personally, if the Wachowskis had went through a lot of work for this movie I think they should might as well have directed this themselves because what critics really didn't like about this movie was of how sloppy director James McTeigue handled the (impressively choreographed, I might add) fight scenes, and while I thought the fight scenes looked well handled enough, I like this movie enough to feel hurt that it got mediocre reviews.So in a nutshell: "Ninja Assassin" delivers the stylish fights it promises, followed by a fair enough story with interesting enough characters played well by talented actors..
Under the supervision of his mentors (Wachowski Bros.), director James McTeigue made an excellent work with the film adaptation of V for Vendetta 5 years ago; and more recently, his film Ninja Assassin makes tribute to another support of "geek" culture: martial arts cinema.The result may not be great, but it is definitely very entertaining thanks to its over-the-top violence and exuberant energy.McTeigue directs Ninja Assassin with a good combination of solemnity and lightness.As a fan of the "gore", I was delighted with the exaggeratedly graphic violence and the frequent rains of blood.Besides, I also liked to see that the screenplay has some subtle touches of humor.The screenplay has some inconsistencies, but McTeigue's direction is so dynamic that that is not very noticeable.Korean super-star Rain makes an adequate work on the leading role, and the choreographers take good advantage from his competent physical development.Besides, I also liked the narrative economy from this film, because it ignores any filling or obstacle on its road to the frenetic action scenes.In summary, Ninja Assassin is a very entertaining experience, and it deserves a recommendation because of that..
This is an action movie that really worths 8 out of 10, provided that you do not have any odd expectations.Lets starts with the fight scenes: they were amazing to watch, something between combat and dancing.The blood was an innovation of the director as it was always computer generated, exactly like on video games.
You can't expect to have actors who have an excellent body, who can fight and play in ninja manic action scenes, with a nice aggressive face and additionally to act like Daniel Day Lweis.
I guess this was a sacrifice for the fight/action scenes, EXCEPT Shô Kosugi who was really great for his part the tough trainer, a very experienced actor, staring in some eighties ninja movies.The plot was the weakest part.
Some of the talking between the police officers that revealed what is going on with assassinations from ninjas, simply did not make a lot of sense.My conclusion: if you do not mind poor plot and average acting this movie is as good as the Ninja sub-genre has gone so far..
this movie was awesome...i wont try to tell you with big words what i think about the movie, just simply tell you that its a bit graphic but great action!!!...i notice that the blood shade was different than old school ninja movies...back then when someone used to get their arms or heads chopped or sliced the blood would shoot out on a spray type of stream!
hahaha..;though i'm a more 'story' fan, i must admit i had a fun time watching this hard core, gore filled action movie.
i have read about this movie here some yr ago and downloaded watched it just because its full lightning speed action movie- full of fights best cast crew...opening scene is enough to say about this in a minute ninja kills some ten ppl, film full of action-blood-body parts throwing around......but still you love this film -there's love story too in between..
However, if you want blood splatter everywhere, body parts being sliced off and some crazy action and fight scenes, this movie is for you.ZombieSteak.com - Discover a new world of horror films, designed just for you..
We really only need Mika's story and Raizo's training.The Wachowski brothers have produced this film, and they have carried on their protégé, James McTeigue, from his previous film, "V for Vendetta." Like "The Matrix" movies, "V for Vendetta" asked a number of philosophical questions.
He sticks with her because she is his connection to the Ninja Clan he seeks for revenge.Not much of a story and to be honest the dialog in this movie is pretty sh!tty too, as well as the acting that comes with it.
Now, entangled in a deadly game of cat and mouse through the streets of Europe, Raizo and Mika must trust one another if they hope to survive and finally bring down the elusive Ozunu Clan.The great thing about Ninja Assassin is that the film-makers know who their audience is and they deliver the goods.
When a film is called "Ninja Assassin", you know what you're signing in for; a lot of martial arts, a lot of blood, some kind of honor/revenge related plot, a ton of fighting scenes, basically, mayhem.
But much to my surprise, unlike other similar films, Ninja Assassin does have a solid plot and the back story of the main character, Raizo, is quite interesting even if it might feel a bit cheesy to western audiences.
His fighting skills worked well on screen, and you do grow to like him.It was also nice to see everyone's favourite ninja pop up, master Sho Kosugi, and get some on screen action also!Ninja Assassin isn't perfect, but it does what films were meant to do...
But after he betrays his clan he becomes a target by them.There's a Europol agent played by Naomie Harris who's trying to bring down the clan for their ties to killing government officials.There's a lot of good old fashioned yakuza pieces put into the movie but added with a lot of new stuff with all the over the top action scenes and special effects.Where they show Raizo training with the clan as a child is some of the most grueling stuff someone can go through.The movie is not enough for the weak at heart, it gets very gory at certain points in the film..
Don't listen to metacritic or rotten tomatoes just throw a rotten tomato back in their faces.I personally think that the martial arts in this flick are fantastic.I remember one scene where he was (Raizo played by Rain)was using his signature kusari-gama type weapon just cutting through limbs arms heads(etc.)in a 300 type film.
and boy, does Ninja Assassin deliver in that respect!!!Produced by, amongst others, Joel Silver, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski, the film is packed to the rafters with impressively choreographed, hyper kinetic, CGI enhanced fight scenes, as renegade ninja Raizo (Rain) battles for his life against his brethren, who are more than a mite miffed that he has betrayed their clan.
But even so, Ninja Assassin is one of the greatest ninja films of all time, filled to the brim with blood, gore, and intense fight scenes that will grab your attention.
No. But don't let that get in the way; this is a good movie and should be seen by anyone who loves a good action movie with non-stop, martial arts-filled violence and well-choreographed fights.7.5/10 Stars.
After i saw the Red-band trailer, i immediately wanted to watch it, it was violent and looked awesome and Shô Kosugi had a role (as Ozunu, the villain)!Rain (the main actor, who plays Raizo) never had experience with martial arts and he trained for this role, i have to say that his training was 100% worth it.The violence is bloody and gory (even the first scene will prove it), strangely, i wasn't "annoyed" by the use of CGI blood (as i usually do).I hope for more movies like this in the future, we must have more Ninjas on our screens.....violent like this, possibly !.
I'd expected a movie with a standard plot but with good action and cool weapons and ninja's.
Just saw the movie and was thoroughly disappointed.The story line is non-existent, action sequences have been done in many films before.
Quick, i want you to name me a ninja movie.......no no no, not a kung-fu martial arts type movie like say "Hero" or "Kill Bill".
"Ninja Assassin" is the best action/fantasy movie of 2009, even though it didn't have a large audience.
The movie is about a secret clan of ninja assassins that kill for the highest bidder. |
tt0493406 | Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves | AMERICA THE LAND OF THE FREE, THE HOME OF THE BRAVE, A MECCA FOR IMMIGRANTS WHERE THE AMERICAN DREAM IS AN INALIENABLE TRADITION. A YOUNG MAN IS ACCUSED OF MURDER. HES ON THE RUN, AN UNDERDOG AND A MAN AGAINST THE ODDS. HE BECOMES A FUGITIVE AND IS VICIOUSLY HUNTED DOWN, IN A TIME WHEN STEALING A HORSE GOT YOU HUNG BUT KILLING A CHINAMAN WAS NO CRIME. CAN THIS YOUNG CHINESE IMMIGRANT (RAILROAD WORKER) FIND JUSTICE? SURVIVE WHILE STRUGGLING FROM WITHIN AND CONFRONTING GREED, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL DIVIDES. PERSEVERING BIGOTRY, CHEAP LABORAT WHAT PRICE? THIS UNTOLD TALE OF AMERICAS PAST WILL TRANSPORT YOU ON A PROVOCATIVE EAST MEETS WEST JOURNEY. INTERTWINED WITH THE ROOTS OF THE CHINESE THE AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE MEXICANS DRAMATICALLY CLASH WITH AN EMERGING NEW AMERICA. CAN NON-VIOLENCE, PEACE, LOVE REDEMPTION AND FORGIVENESS TRANSFORM THIS VIOLENT LAWLESS, WILD WEST INTO A MORE PEACEFUL, MORAL AND ENLIGHTENED AMERICA? THE STORY BEGINS; I AM SOMEBODY; NO CHANCE IN HELL... 1854: THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DECLARED THE CHINESE AS NON PEOPLE. 1857: THE UNITED STATE GOVERNMENT PASSED THE DRED SCOTT DECISION, DENYING EQUAL JUSTICE AND CITIZENSHIP TO PEOPLE OF COLOR, ALLOWING THEM TO BE BOUGHT AND SOLD AS MERCHANDISE. 1882: THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PASSED THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT PROHIBITING THE CHINESE FROM CITIZENSHIP AND ENTERING THE UNITED STATES UNTIL 1943. 2009: THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DECLARED AN OFFICAL APOLOGY TO THE CHINESEAFTER 127 YEARS. | violence, murder, romantic | train | imdb | null |
tt0438315 | Peaceful Warrior | Dan Millman is a university student as well as a locally famous gymnast who dreams of winning a National Championship competition. He suffers from restlessness, and on one occasion Dan attempts to compensate for the restlessness by running along streets before sunrise. At a car-service station, he encounters an old man who seems to know more about Dan's problem than Dan himself knows, whom Dan later nicknames "Socrates". Dan is unsettled by Socrates' knowledge; by the fact that Socrates had appeared in a nightmare as a faceless janitor, clad in mismatched shoes (by which he is identified in waking life), who sweeps up the pieces of Dan's shattered leg; and by the old man's extraordinary speed, agility, and coordination. As a result of his exposure to the last, Dan seeks to learn the secret behind it.
Socrates, prodded by the impatient and defiant Dan, gives the boy a series of tasks and lessons. The central concept of "Soc's" philosophy is this: that one must live entirely in the present moment. Other ideas include the related notion that at no time is "nothing going on" and the idea that an appropriate time exists for fighting and another for abstaining from violence. These lessons are conveyed through practical lessons, long contemplation, and one spectacular mystical experience. Dan gradually learns to appreciate every moment; to view the journey toward a goal as more meaningful and significant than the attainment; to pay attention to that which he is doing – thus increasing his gymnastic prowess; and (to a slightly lesser extent) control himself. Throughout the lesson, Dan learns virtually nothing about his mentor, other than the philosophy, Socrates' belief that service is the most noble action possible (hence his choice to work as a car serviceman), and the presence of another protégé.
This protégé, a woman of Dan's own age named Joy, has learned and integrated Socrates' philosophy into her life, to the extent that she seems as wise as Socrates himself. Dan attempts to ask her for information regarding Socrates, but receives little. Joy treats Dan indulgently, though she evidently respects him.
One day, Dan drives recklessly, and his motorcycle collides with a car that ran a red light, causing his right femur bone to shatter. He is rushed to a hospital, where a metal bar is placed in his leg to maintain its integrity. As a result, his gymnastic coach believes that Dan cannot compete in the National competition. Dan, hurt by this lack of faith, recovers from the injury and resumes his training under Socrates' tutelage. Eventually, he is restored to full health and strength, while his coordination improves and his mind is set entirely on the present moment. He competes in the U.S. Trials for the Olympics and achieves a victory.
Slightly before the competition, Dan diverts the bus he is riding to Socrates' station, only to find that Socrates has vanished without a trace. At the arena, he attempts to teach his teammate Tommy what he has learned, but fails due to Tommy's emotional insecurity and lack of comprehension. Dan then is called upon for his turn to perform on the still rings. While he does his routine, Dan performs flawlessly just like Pommel Horse tryouts. Moments before he completes his routine, Socrates is in his thoughts asking him three questions: "Where are you, Dan?" "Here." "What time is it?" "Now." "What are You?" "This Moment." Dan then performs his triple consecutive flips, the Commentators frantically speaking, and the judges staring at him in amazement. He then dismounts, while the rings swing outwards, eventually touching each other. The screen goes black, leaving his last moment unknown.
The postscript states that Dan and his Berkeley Gymnastics Team won their first National title. It is implied at the end, in a postscript appearing on screen, that Dan of the film and Dan the author of the book on which the film is based are one and the same. It is also stated that the latter Dan lives with his wife Joy. | inspiring, philosophical, stupid | train | wikipedia | I was invited to a screening of The Peaceful Warrior in NYC Thursday April 13th, having just learned of this film's existence a few days earlier.I was looking forward to the film, but with some trepidation, considering that prior attempts at communicating spiritually oriented books or ideas had fallen short of my expectations and had fundamentally failed to convey to the audience a transforming inner experience; witness What the Bleep, Siddhartha, Little Buddha, and others.Let me say this, simply and directly.
You understand.The story, based on a book by Dan Millman, follows a college gymnast who has great potential but whose desire for success is one of the main obstacles standing in the way of that potential.
In its simplest message, our hero's real challenge is to find happiness by being present and finding interest and love for what's right in front of him.The film doesn't try to oversimplify the content of a spiritual path into a single dogma; there are many other seeds of thought strewn along the path by Socrates, each of which could have been the basis for a different struggle to transcend relative unconsciousness.For many years I have been convinced that non-religious spiritual thought and experience could be something to drive the world in a new direction.
This movie provides an example of what life can be like if we ponder these thoughts and implement them in our lives in a concrete and practical way.
This is why I see that The Peaceful Warrior can inspire those who embrace the possibilities which it offers to become peaceful guerrilla warriors, working tirelessly underneath the radar, changing the world.This is not only a good movie, it's an important one..
I've long been a fan of the book upon which this film is based -- Dan Millman's The Way of the Peaceful Warrior.If you've read the book, you know its central lesson is learning how to live in the moment.Filled with memorable aphorisms, the book is part novel, part autobiography, and part spiritual guidebook -- and I have to admit that I was nervous about how the book would translate to the big screen.But I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening of the film.
And for fans of the book like me -- and people who've never read it -- this film delivers.
That feeling is worth the price of admission alone.Peaceful Warrior is that rare film that manages to be hugely inspirational without being cheesy.
If you are at all open to the real story in the film, you will not walk out of the theater thinking only of your next snack.There is not a classic battle between good guys and bad guys here.
I read the book back in the mid '80s and at that time there was much I did not understand fully,I may have thought I did however as the last 20 years have bloomed in my life I know that my views were clouded by what I thought I knew rather than the experiences and revelations which come to a life consciously lived.That is what this movie is all about,breaking free from all the misconceptions we have and living in the moment,a moment that is rich with all the things we think are missing and in actuality are present in every heartbeat,so close and in our face that most of us miss it.Its what Socrates calls being asleep while walking around living our lives and missing the fullness of life which surrounds us completely.I saw this movie then re-read the book and while I would recommend the book over the Movie,if you go into the theater with a mind willing to see something new about yourself,as opposed to being a critic,then it is possible to come away with a new prospective about your place in this world.Of course letting go of what we call mind would be even better.If anyone has ever read "The Art Of War" by Sun Tzu then you know what the Peaceful Warrior concept is all about.
The greatest warrior of all is one who has resolved the battle within oneself.That is what this Movie is showing us and in my view the human race would be far better if all did this work.Very few movies actually leave you with something to consider about how we run our lives in the way this one does and if you are willing to be open to these lessons,then you will get far more than the price of admission.This one is worth 10 stars,for what it shows us about ourselves..
Dan Milliman, the main character, is living the good life: he's one of the best athletes on the team, popular with the girls, still gets excellent grades.
Imagine if we can get the kids of today to truly understand the lessons presented in this movie - it could change the world and the medium of film reaches enough people to do just that..
Frankly, Sting would have been a better choice for the casting of Socrates.My advice would be to read the book and skip the movie unless you "REALLY" like one of the actors in it and will see anything they make just because..
It's important to watch movies like this if you've every had difficult times in your life and have struggled a lot.
And the author of the book on which the film is based, Dan Millman , can be glimpsed for a brief moment as the driver of the car at the gas station when Dan exercises for the first time after his motorcycle crash.The motion picture was professionally directed by Victor Salva , he tries for profundity at the end and blow it.
Dan accepts Socrates' offer to train him as a real warrior.Nick Nolte as a spiritual guide is mind-bender.
There are too few, almost no, movies that feature the interior experience, that detail the struggle to becoming a real and better person, as Peaceful Warrior does.
Now, I know that there is a time and a place for a movie like this, but I wasn't expecting a two hour lecture / philosophy lesson- they should warn you that it's going to be a hundred and twenty minutes of uninspired dialog and repetition.
One left the movie feeling confused, certainly not inspired.I think the movie could have been at least average if not superior had the director and/or writer(s) taken more time to develop the characters and to clarify the direction of the plot.
While this movie is based a section of the book "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" it touches you in new and different ways.
After you leave the movie you keep thinking about that interaction and how your life could be changed for the better.
If you liked "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" you will definitely enjoy this movie..
The story was a great one about Dan Millman, but if you have read he book, really read it, you will be disappointed in the presentation of Socrates.
Maybe looking for a couple of hours of inspiration, but I found a film that bothered me many times during the screening and made me feel uncomfortable for the production development values.
The content of this film is beautiful, (and I will buy the book that inspired it), but I got disappointed with the flat directing job; poor acting; the constantly choreography of the Director of Photography, when he was catching the characters' acting, others' reactions; playing a lot with "showing off" camera movements; poor editing; weak and predictable screenplay; the unnecessary repetition of sounds effects and "triumphal" music scores highlighting the emotional moments...that pulled me out of the film instead get the objective...it didn't touch me
and as I wrote before
poor directing work.It looked more like a "cheesy" Sunday TV film.
But when something as strong as this story and now the movie which was amazing, comes along that helps bring an individual into understanding the world around you beyond the veil of denial we all live to one degree or another, one can no longer live a life that is unconscious .
This is one of the few movies out there that will inspire you to make changes in your life and this film shows us that we all have the power within us to make them.
It's a good movie, yes, but I heard from a few different people that it's one of the greatest films of all time so I was expecting a life changing film.
What I got, however, was a slightly more depressing and less good version of The Karate Kid. Maybe it'll grow on me if I watch it again, but that's my impression so far.We all know that Victor Salva's a total creep but I don't think that makes him a terrible filmmaker, despite how creepy it is that he always shows young men with no shirts on in his films.
"The Peaceful Warrior" is a treacly, formulaic story about an adolescent college student who learns his buddhist lessons well (from Nick Nolte???) and must face the film's final test.
Based on a book by Inspirational Guru Dan Millman and beautifully adapted for the screen by Kevin Bernhardt, the story combines the best in sport stories with the infusion of spiritual discovery that despite the abundance of 'Hallmark-like' imitations, stands nobly as a tool for introducing young people to a journey toward self discovery well worth taking.
Director Victor Salva had the good sense not to push the story over the top, but instead to let his actors and situations grow logically into a practical demonstration of spiritual growth.Dan Millman (Scott Mechlowicz) is a gymnast bent on perfecting his skills to enter the Olympic trials.
Dan suffers a life-threatening motorcycle accident that appears to doom his dreams of being the finest gymnast, but Socrates helps him discover that living in the moment, giving in to the power of focus on the present, can result in overcoming the seemingly impossible obstacles.Rather than 'preach' these concepts, the story is illustrated by physical feats of gymnastics and by meaningful encounters between Dan and Socrates, and it is this technique that brings the film above the usual 'inspirational flicks' to become a truly compelling movie.
In 'Peaceful Warrior' Scott Mechlowicz plays Dan Millman, a world-class gymnast.
When a crippling accident may ruin his future, Dan needs all the answers he can get.Based on the book 'Way of the Peaceful Warrior' by the real Dan Millman, this film is truly an inspirational one.
What I mean by that is the lead boy lacks a certain depth and understanding, which I assume this movie's morals attempt to illuminate, though it seems in a way like trying to train pee wee herman to become an X-Men, his power will always seem contrived.For anyone with a reasonable understanding of some of the inner virtues of living ("meditating on a job, no matter what it may be"), this kid's "I need answers now" punk-hubris is difficult to watch, especially since he never really achieves any sense of humility, only through exhaustion does he begin to justly focus.I read the book years back, felt it was of the same caliber of cheese this movie genres, though the total unconcerned association of "Socrates" is in both the book and the movie, insightful.
I actually liked the movie more than the book.It's usually the other way around.
I really didn't expect much from the movie but i was surprised after watching it.It is one of the best movies i have ever seen.First of all story is great,and as an athlete i can relate to it.Acting is also great.I have to admit that i have never seen or heard before for Scott Mechlowicz (Dan Millman), but after this movie i can mark him as one of my favourite actors.As for the Nick Nolte (Socrates) i can only say that i never loved him that much.My opinion about him has changed after the movie.He was brilliant.All in all i think that this is a must see film for all of you who like good movies and touching stories.So if you want to spend an entertaining night get up and go to the cinema because this movie is worth paying some cash.
I hope that people will continue to have a choice to see a great movie such as this as opposed to the usual selections of gangster-car-chase themes and sappy love stories.
"Way of the Peaceful Warrior" is a movie for the thinking person.
I was pleasantly surprised that the true spiritual message of the book did not get lost in the adaptation, even though I did find the trailers & sneak previous of the film to overly-emphasize Dan's motorcycle accident & the overcoming of this accident to go on to gymnastic greatness.
The Peaceful Warrior is true to the book, well cast and worth the price of the movie ticket.
Scott Mechlowitz was an awesome embodiment of young Dan, and Amy Smart was the perfect Joy.I took three different groups of people to see "Peaceful Warrior" and everyone felt like they had taken something positive and strong away from the film.
I was moved to tears by watching "Peaceful Warrior" and had a big heart-opening experience of what it means to be present, to live in the Moment.All worries, fears, and petty anxieties just melted away and gave way to a feeling of infinite love.
It's a great story and this film tells it well, in a manner that's got enough gritty reality to connect with teens and enough "magic" to inspire viewers of all ages to see beyond the normal, to look at them selves and the world & people around them in a deeper & clearer way.
After reading Dan's "Peaceful Warrior" series, I have found that no two people will come away with the same feeling or inspiration.
If you enjoy this movie there are other books in this 'series', such as: No Ordinary Moments: A Peaceful Warrior's Guide to Daily Life, The Journeys of Socrates and Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior..
A movie that not only entertains you but leaves you with deep personal questions to think about and new ways of living to possibly add to your daily life.
I traveled over 50 miles to see the movie and was not disappointed.When I first heard that Nick Nolte would be playing the part of Socrates, I was skeptical because he was not who I pictured when I read the book.
I GUARANTEE you will leave the movie theater thinking about your life and how important your existence is to others.Thank God for Dan Millman.
I am so blessed to have people such as Dan Millman write such inspiring books and make films that move my spirit.
With each person I tell of this movie, I feel as if I am making an impact on their lives.The vivid portrayal of details makes this movie draws you in, grateful for the armrests on your chair.I want to learn how to be a Peaceful Warrior, being in the moment, just like this main character and his mentor.GO SEE IT.
NIck Nolte played a great Socrates and Amy Smart was excellent as Joy. JOhn was excellent as Dan. I think the critics that gave this movie a bad review need to get their head examined.
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior is my favorite book of all time, and I searched long and hard to find a theater that was actually playing this limited release film.
yet also not expecting people to love it as much as I do because I inherently am biased and have an appreciation for the story.I can honestly say that while the movie was not as entertaining and compelling as the book, it is not for a lack of performance or direction, etc.
Read the book first for the full experience, and enjoy the movie as a chance to review the story in high-speed..
But the moral of the story is to 'live in the present' and rushing the movie seems contrary to that.But overall, I liked it and was inspired by it enough to where I will be re-reading the book very soon.
Unlike those, Peaceful Warrior is filled with human achievement (gymnastics), and is trying to inspire you, rather than simply entertain.I don't think that this movie itself will change your life, but it might inspire you, or maybe re-inspire you, to move toward appreciating life more fully, in this moment..
The books outlining the Peaceful Warrior, Socrates, and others touches the heart and soul -- we're all on that journey -- it's up to each of us to tap into the true soul of who we are in order to share it with the collective consciousness of the world.The story has to be told in multiple movies.
The story line's integrity was kept acceptably well-intact, the acting was quite good, and most of the key message points from the book were well integrated into the film.Like the book, it's well worth reviewing again for the profoundly important life lessons it imparts.
For those you have not read the book, the movie is a great introduction into the concepts of the Peacefull Warrior that will hopefully open up a new way of looking at the world.
Thank goodness Dan Millman was able to get his book made into a movie...and with Nick Nolte, who was just awesome as "Socrates!" DO NOT HESITATE TO SEE IT!.
From the book to the screen, this movie captures all of the beauty of Dan Millman's Way of the Peaceful Warrior.
While the movie does not follow the book exactly, it artfully conveys Dan's story and its message of clarity and perspective.
For those who did not like the movie - please read the book.
It is a must see for all who enjoy seeing movies with a timeless message as well as a great story.
Like the book that inspires re-reading...the movie inspires re-viewing. |
tt0887883 | Burn After Reading | Faced with a demotion at work due to a drinking problem, Osbourne Cox angrily quits his job as a CIA analyst and decides to write a memoir. When his pediatrician wife Katie finds out, she sees it as an opportunity to file for divorce and continue her affair with Harry Pfarrer, a deputy U.S. Marshal. She copies her husband's financial records and other files, including the draft memoir, and gives them to her lawyer.
The lawyer's assistant copies the files onto a CD, which she accidentally leaves on the locker room floor of Hardbodies, a local gym. The disc falls into the hands of dim-witted personal trainer Chad Feldheimer and his co-worker Linda Litzke, who mistakenly believe it to contain sensitive government information. They plan to return the disc for a reward, with Linda hoping to use the money to pay for cosmetic surgery. After a phone call and subsequent meeting with Osbourne provoke a furious reaction, Chad and Linda attempt to sell the disc to the Russian embassy.
Osbourne's increasingly temperamental and erratic behavior prompts Katie to change the locks on their house and invite Harry to move in. A womanizer, Harry is coincidentally also seeing Linda. Linda persuades Chad to sneak into the Coxes' home to get more files from their computer. Harry finds Chad hiding in a wardrobe and shoots him.
Two days later at the CIA headquarters, Palmer Smith, Osbourne's former superior, and his director learn that information from Osbourne has been given to the Russian Embassy. They are perplexed: the material delivered to the Russians is of no importance, and the apparent motive of all the involved parties is unknown.
Harry argues with Katie and leaves the house. On his way out, he spots a man who has been trailing him for the past several days. Harry tackles the man and finds out that he is a private detective hired by his wife "Sandy" to gather evidence to divorce him. Separately, it is revealed that Sandy is having an affair of her own. Harry is devastated and goes to see an agitated Linda, who confides to Harry that Chad is missing. Harry agrees to help find Chad.
Linda returns to the Russian embassy to find Chad. The Russians have dismissed the CD contents as "drivel", and escort Linda off the embassy grounds. She turns to Ted Treffon, the kindhearted manager of Hardbodies, who has unrequited feelings for her. Against his better judgement, Ted agrees to go to the Coxes' home to search Osbourne's computer.
Harry and Linda meet in a park where Harry sees a man looking at Linda and asks her if she knows him. Linda denies knowing the man, which makes Harry suspicious. When Linda reveals the address where Chad disappeared, Harry realizes that Chad is the man he shot. Convinced that Linda is a spy and that everyone in the park is surveilling him, he panics and flees.
Osbourne becomes unhinged when he finds out that Katie has emptied his bank accounts and decides to break into the house to get his alcohol and personal belongings. Finding Ted in the basement, Osbourne shoots Ted and chases him wielding a hatchet. A CIA agent intervenes by shooting Osbourne, leaving him in a coma.
At CIA headquarters a few days later, Palmer and his director try to understand what happened. Harry has been detained trying to flee to Venezuela, as that country has no extradition treaty with the US and therefore will not send him back. The director instructs Palmer to send him to Venezuela. The director and Palmer agree to leave Osbourne comatose and deal with him if he ever wakes. The final loose end is Linda, who is promising to keep quiet if they will pay for her plastic surgery, which the director agrees to. They conclude that there appears to be no lesson for the agency to learn from the events. "I guess we learned not to do it again," the director says, despite not knowing exactly what they did, and closes the file. | comedy, dark, murder, violence, satire, entertaining | train | wikipedia | The movie may not start brilliantly (not that it isn't good even early on), but once the Coens start firing on all cylinders they never stop, and the dream cast certainly doesn't either (Brad Pitt has a smaller role than most cast members here, but he is absolutely brilliant in the role), showing tremendous comic skill that few would have guessed most of them had.
But the movie is very funny and while the rest of Hollywood seems to have lost there way, the Coen brothers continue to put out intelligent, entertaining and thought provoking material..
What better place to set such a story than Washington, DC?The story involves a demoted government worker (John Malkovich) who finds himself the target of an extortion scheme by two gym workers, riotously played by Frances McDormand (a would-be gym bunny if only she could afford some plastic surgery) and Brad Pitt (a high-energy, arm-thrusting, hip-shaking fitness trainer-cum-"good Samaritan" who lands himself way in over his head).
This film will not be to everyones taste, and I wholly understand the polarised responses.A star studded cast enjoy a knowing, wordy script, where dialogue counts, a Coen brothers trademark.However not very much happens, and the narrative is disjointed, so the pace of the story is very staccato.But once again the result is something very wide of the Hollywood mainstream and is all the more satisfying for it.A 95 minute running time,, and several separate but interwoven plots, mean that screen time for individual actors is limited.
It was so surprising when I first saw it, that at first, I didn't even know what it was.Once again, the Coens have created wonderful characters, including Clooney, who is a womanizer and paranoid that people are following him, and McDormand, who just wants plastic surgery in order to look better.
Also, there's John Malkovich as Osbourne Cox, who "doesn't have a drinking problem," and maybe the best in the movie, Brad Pitt as Chad, a clueless gym employee who is pushed along by McDormand.The only character that isn't up to par with the rest is Tilda Swinton's character of Katie Cox, Osbourne's wife.
However, she may not be funny, but she does play the character well.The writing is brilliant and the Coens weave the story in such a way that it reminds me of their previous movie, The Big Lebowski.
Norman Cousins would have loved the Coen Brothers' "Burn After Reading." The late great Saturday Review editor had treated his illness with Marx Brothers movies, having "made the joyous discovery that 10 minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep."I have never felt healthier than after 96 minutes of explosive and grateful laughter at the "Burn" screening, also marveling at the array of British-stage caliber acting from "Fargo"-invoking Frances McDormand, witchy-icy Tilda Swinton, a more-manic-than-ever John Malkovich, and a dozen major players, such as J.K. Simmons as the deadpan CIA boss and Richard Jenkins as the former Greek Orthodox priest, now running an upscale gym.Others may lead the cast list with George Clooney and Brad Pitt, but to me, their performances were just a bit on the self-conscious side, trying too hard.
At any rate, it's a great cast, and while the plot might have turned into a dud in somebody else's treatment, the Coen Brothers' writing is hilarious, their zingers deadly.A critic, probably with bad digestion, has decried this "very black comedy set in a blanched, austere-looking Washington, D.C.
an uninspiring and uncomfortable place in which everyone betrays everyone else, and the emotional tone veers from icy politeness to spitting rage and back again." If I had a chance to think, instead of enjoying "Burn," I would have contemplated Molière and Evelyn Waugh, their comedies of manners, psychological insight, and unbridled great humor.Yes, there are betrayals (none better than the totally unexpected one at the end of the film), and there is rage, but all contained within a glorious bubble of writing-directing-acting excellence.
After their Oscar winning turn last year, The Coen Brothers are back with the new film, this time comedy/crime/spy story which is very funny, very dark, quite angry, at times surreal, always ironic and to put it simply a must see for any Coens' fan which means a fan of great movie making.
How could I not with the dream cast that include John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, George Clooney, Francis McDormand, and very funny and deliciously clueless, Brad Pitt, and many familiar faces in the small cameos.
Tilda Swinton as an arrogant icy cold professional woman, and Frances MacDormand as Linda who would stop at nothing in order to "re-invent herself", both added to the film's multiple delights.This time, Coens' usual collaborator, Roger Deakins was not director of photography, instead, Emmanuel Lubezki, four times Oscar Nominee (for Children of Men, The New World, Sleepy Hollow, and A Little Princess) took care of camera-work.
But unlike their second film, Raising Arizona, the Coens deliver Burn After Reading with a kind of newfound cynicism attached to it; it's funny, but it's also surprisingly dark and sad, and even poignant to some extent.Based on the Coen's first wholly original screenplay since 2001's The Man Who Wasn't There, Burn After Reading features a plethora of classic Coen staples: repetitive (and brilliant) dialogue employing a strange and almost poetic use of curse words, a multifaceted plot featuring slightly dim-witted characters in way over their heads, blacker-than-the-night comedy, over-the-top performances from a pool of actors featuring recurring collaborators and newcomers to the Coen clan alike, and to tie it all off, a lesson-learning conclusion in which nothing ends up being learned at all.
Like all of their films, Burn After Reading is a carefully calculated dance in which every pause, every stutter and every camera move is planned in advance.What I loved most about the movie is trying to get into the Coen's heads and see what they think is funny.
Many directors are familiar with the colourful phrases, some more than others, but only the Coens know how to make various S- and F- words utterly sidesplitting.Blessed with one of the more impressive ensemble casts of any film this year, Burn After Reading inevitably features a plethora of good acting.
Tilda Swinton and the ever-great Richard Jenkins are a lot subtler than their higher-billed co-stars, and Brad Pitt delivers the only truly one-hundred percent cartoon performance in the film; thought despite its emptiness it's also the most enjoyable and completely hilarious.J.K. Simmons I reserve for last; he only appears in two scenes in the film, but they are undoubtedly and by far the funniest and most successful scenes of the film.
This film is packed with superb performances and extreme character juxtapositions: Clooney's used car salesman approach to the fairer sex, Frances McDormand's desperation for cosmetic surgery that leads her into the most unlikely of alliances with the gawky idiot played hilariously by Brad Pitt, Tilda Swinton's studied coldness and straightness and her manic, dangerously disappointed husband played by a masterful and creepy John Malkovich...the plot, as with many Coen brothers films, is almost irrelevant: it's the set-pieces and the way that things happen that grabs you.
For most of the rest of the time, you feel like you are watching over paid if not over qualified Hollywood Movie Stars (and yes, Frances McDormand, you are one.
While their film does start a little slow, if not too much so, their plot soon requires all of the actors- some Coen regulars big and small, some new- to act stupid, angry, confused, wacko, desperate, going nuts, and generally in characteristic form of a Coen comedy, which is far and beyond a distinct step above a lot of other zany/dark comedies.
And yet, this is just a small part of the screwy-relationships angle of the picture that unfolds, which includes divorce and not-secret longing and even a home-built chair with a springy dildo.The Coens main concern here, as with Big Lebowski, is just tossing in a plot thread that is about as true a MacGuffin as possible: Malkovich's ex-analyst character starts up his memoirs, and they somehow get on a disc and wind up in the gym locker room at the Hardbodies fitness center, and McDormand and Brad Pitt's dim-witted "good Samaritan" character devise a scheme to muck with Malkovich's documents.
And without spoiling anything, mayhem and violence ensue.That last line could also apply to the Coens previous No Country for Old Men, only this time (and not-too-oddly enough this was written off-and-on while that written), in Burn After Reading we soak up all of this with a kind of permission-slip to laugh our heads off.
Not saying he or others did not act well, in fact all actors did a great job in performing and carrying out their roles but this wasn't a comedy nor a movie worth script.I got so disappointed that i was struggling to sit and watch till the end of this movie..please somebody explain to me the high rating and those extremely over positive comments.cheers.
I think I'm not alone in saying my anticipation of the movie was great - the Coens are normally reliably interesting, I loved their previous Oscar-winning affair, and there are few actors more watchable than Clooney, particularly alongside the ensemble gathered here.
I was expecting great things from this movie - my appetite had been whetted by an amusing trailer (which sadly contained all the funny moments which the movie had to offer), by the presence of the likes of Bard Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich, and by the fact that the film as directed by the Coen brothers whose most recent film, No Country for Old Men, I thought was excellent.
Although the characters are well written the plot is slow to start and although picking up speed and becoming more engaging in the middle it fizzles out at the end.I reckon just about everyone has realised by now that the Coen brothers make some great films but sadly I didn't find this one any good.
The film is very funny and entertaining; like previous Coen Brother's comedies it is filled with dark humor and quirky, yet likable characters.
If you asked what the film was about, I'd have to say nothing really; it's really just a movie about a bunch of idiots who are somehow connected in a plot that turns out to mean absolutely nothing, but that's what makes it all the more hilarious.The Coen Brothers did a superb job directing, and their screenplay was as tight as always.
Of course it is the acting from this stellar A-List cast that makes the film such a joy to watch, in particular the performances by Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand steal the show in practically each scene that they're in.
Add to the mix Osborne Cox's wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) wanting a divorce from her husband so that she can move on to her current lover Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) and you have in this comedic mixing bowl enough nuts and bolts to blow the roof off of any comparable perfect comedy/crime caper.We have watched this film several times now and we will be watching it a few more times whenever we want a good laugh.
Is it just me or do movies just not make sense anymoreWhat did the scene of the T.V room with Elizabeth Marvel - Sandy Pfarrer have anything to do with the movie????Apart from the confusing script and over obvious jokes and clique's I felt for the actors in this farce of mass entertainment madness as they performed to the highest standard and did their best to accommodate yet and another junker straight out Hollywood's trash binBest and only good line in movie"You tell Dr Cox I have the new keys!" (John Malkovich - Osbourne Cox)Great actors Good Budget Poor ScriptF-" I cannot stand idly by while bad films go un-reviewed " Weightgain4000.
How George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand could be rooked into being this movie is beyond me.
Then she reminded me that the Coen Brothers also directed "No Country For Old Men" which i can honestly say is one of the worst movies of all time.
4 of us watched it, and i was the only one awake at the end, wishing i wasn't.What annoys me about "Burn After Reading" is that it is supposed to be a comedy, but i seriously can't remember so much as smiling at any point in the film.
And on top of that, it seems to present a negative world view for the sake of it, which is borderline unethical coming from people as talented as this.Now, if you're a Clooney/Malkovich/McDormand/Pitt/Coen-fan and must see this movie, I won't stop you.
I think the funniest thing about this movie is the comments being left to confirm it as 'such great work' or comments where people are simply gushing that it's definitely 'one of the coen brothers' best??
The only thing comical about it was laughing about how utterly boring it was whilst we walked out of the cinema around an hour into it (and I'm amazed we gave it that long).For those lovely people leaving such insulting comments on threads about how some people may be too stupid to catch on to the comedic moments - I'm reassured that those commenting are clearly biased fans of the Coen brothers, considering that we were followed out of the cinema by plenty of people equally as p**sed off about the fact that they'd spent good money to waste time watching a film trying to be something it clearly isn't (a comedy)..
This film and 'The Big Labowski' together are easily some of the worst comedies I have ever seen in my life, both films had showed no end of complete pointlessness and stupidity blown out of all proportion, with ridiculous story lines, though I am less sure about 'The Big Lebowski' because I didn't actually finish, and having sat through another film (and fighting to stay awake through some parts of it) by the same writer I am not sure that I want to.Now, back to the film, I will try to analyse without giving away too much of the storyline.
If you are looking to have a good laugh, well, you are much better off looking elsewhere, whilst there were the odd funny moments it is far from being funny enough to keep you entertained, which isn't helped by the severe lack of a realistic storyline, it becomes more believable as the story evolve, with people feeling the pressure and starting to break down, still it was like Alice went to wonderland without following the rabbit, it doesn't connect and thus makes no sense.
A recent film that I had seen, 'Ghost Town' was far funnier.It lacked any big idea, you can argue that it's about human nature but the film's portrays humanity in such a way that it assumes all men (and women)are evil/selfish, an overly pessimistic view of life, I am surprised how the Coens brother haven't yet committed suicide if that was what they thought of the world.What surprised me even more, though, was the long list of brilliant actors, truth be told they did a tremendous job making the funny moments...
Seeing Brad Pitt and George Clooney make funny faces can only carry a movie so far.
Violence was overused as well, while I usually enjoy dark comedies I didn't find that the death/destruction/mayhem added to the story in any real way and didn't lead to any interesting or funny situations.I wouldn't recommend this film, even to someone who likes to watch bad movies.
The plot is choppy, the acting is way off from good performance levels, and if we had not had hopes the film would get better as we watched, we would have gotten up and left the theater 15 minutes after the start.
Based on film advertisements that we had seen we were expecting a great movie with plenty of comedy and some good acting.
Such as Frances MacDormand's pursuit of cosmetic surgery.The Coens, riding on the success of No Country for Old Men, seem to have written this script in a matter of hours, called all of their friends who want to win awards, and filmed this mess.This movie feels like a parody of No Country for Old Men that didn't have a good understanding of what that movie was about.I know I'm in the minority here, but this movie is a throw-away that will inevitably end up earning some sort of "classic" status along side of that Wes Anderson garbage polluting people's indie-rock obsessed minds.I hate that this thing was made.
The script should have been burned after being read the first time.This was a pointless waste of time.I no longer consider a Coen brother movie a "sure thing".Really.
As to the comedy, the only way this film is funny, it that there is amusement to be found in watching the very famous (Cloony, McDormand, Malcovich, Swinton and Pitt) playing roles as idiots.
I think the Coen Brothers tried to make a movie quickly on the heels of No Country for Old Men and figured since No Country did so well, everyone would come and see Burn After Reading.
O Brother Where Art Thou, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and No Country For Old Men are some of my favourite movies of all time; but Burn After Reading does not measure up at all.
It's very disappointing when you go to see a movie from Cohen Brothers, with such a cast (Brad Pitt, George Clooney, John Malkovich) and it still is a bad movie.
I sat through the movie expecting the Coen Brothers to create magic as the plot proceeds (like they usually do) but that moment never seemed to come at all.
Not a movie to watch if you expect a lot from the Coen brothers. |
tt0111613 | Das Versprechen | In August 1961 the world was already divided, but no one ever dreamt of the long border reaching its full height. Moscow had the copyright for the concept and execution, and German firms delivered the barbed wire. An unjust regime has committed a new injustice, the west protested, threatened, and lamented, but the wall grew. All the arteries between the two halves of the city were served. To the people on both sides, separated by a few hundred meters between East & West became the longest strip of land in the world. So began the strangest experiments in history. A people who once made enough to rule the world became two. Soon the only the wall supported the illusion: All that divide Germany was a Wall.The open sequence of the film follows a group of friends Konrad, Sophie, Max; Wolfgang, and Monika have all devised a way to cross the Berlin Wall without detection. The group maneuvers the sewer systems armed with the clothes on their back, a flashlight, and a map etched on the palm of their hand. The group must work under cover of darkness, all in mist of rotating patrols monitoring the wall. In act of urgency the group makes their way to the strategic sewer entrance to make the journey of smelly lower Germany. As Sophie, Max, Wolfgang, and Monika make their decent into the sewer Konrad is forced to seal the entrance because of approaching army patrols. Sophie would not go without Konard, but he assures her that he make the journey at a later date. Sophie and the rest of the group press on with their objectives of reaching the other side of the wall. On the surface Konrad is confronted by his parents who were out surveying the streets, fearing that he might have picked up from one of the circling patrols for trying escape over wall. Father and son embrace and is than rebuked for failure to tell his parents where he had gone, or what he was planning to do. In the fathers anger, he informs the authorities that his son as been found after searching for him through out most of night. Meanwhile Sophie and her cohorts navigate their way through waste infested sewers of Germany. Many are found covering their noises with scarfs with little resistance to the smell. After some considerable time the group finally makes it to her aunts house. Sophie and her and embrace, after not hearing from one another for days. Sophie reassures her and that despite traveling through the sewers of Germany they all made it out okay. When Sophie begins to inquire about Conrad Sophie informs her that he will be joining the group at a later date.We next see Konrad seated motionless while a police is going the details of his capture. His conclusion is that the maximum for boarder crossing has a maximum penalty of five years. Thus an interrogation ensues where the inspector begins to explain that you no matter how hard he tried he, and all his friends would be caught. He then begins to tell Konrad insight Sophie, Max, Wolfgang and Monika have all been captured and detained by the government. Next he inquires about whom in the group had the drawing for the sewer system? Throughout the entire interrogation Konrad has not said a single word. His only gesture in the entire scene comes when he told tie his one shoelace on his left shoe. The inspector proceeds to tell Konrad how he must feel at that exact moment in time, similar to a caged animal wanting to be set free. The interrogator than tells him the true nature of why boarders were erected, to prevented East and West Germany could stop from shooting one another. He than acknowledges his disappointed that he had to attempt to cross borders, like so many others, and it was a shame he nor his comrades could be convinced of a lager understanding of why the wall was ever erected in the first place.We now enter the apartment of Konrad and his parents. Konrad and his sister have grown anxious to know weather Sophie, Max. Wolfgang, and Monika were successful in their attempt to make it across boarders while avoiding all detection. Several hours have passed since Konrad saw Sophie, Max, Wolfgang, and Monika since the night of their escape. Konrad is found pleading his sister to contact the parents to ensure Sophie did make it across the boarder safely. Simone calmly assures Konrad that if the family had gotten a phone call, such an outcome would have confirmed the group might have been captured. This is the one scenario Konrad fears the most without a phone contact Konrad has no confirmation that Sophie is even alive and if might not see her ever again. Simone then lifts the head of her brother and makes him a promise that Sophie would contact him very soon, and the Wall not last long.In this next scene we are exposed to a fashion we Sophie has been made in charge of helping models dress for a small fashion show for a small group of designers and clients alike. The fashion is much sophisticated then your average shopper of the day. Sophie has made herself at home with her aunt who has giving her something to smile about. In the middle of the fashion show, the stepfather of Sophie has paid a visit the aunt on suspicion that Sophie might have made it across and is staying with her and hiding out. Since the wall was erected, any civilians trying to jump over the wall without proper documentation will be reprehend and sent back or are shot. Sophie aunt reassures her stepfather that she came over for her desire to work in the industry, and so that is way she gave the chance to come and work for her as an assistant. The Stepfather only reason for his coming is so he and Sophie might have a chance to talk. Once alone in Sophie makes it clear that she has no desire to go back with him. After her father committed suicide in prison Sophie was sent to live with him. Given the tension in the scene, in is made clear their relationship with one another is rocky at best. The stepfather only wants her to go back with him because it is unlawful for any German citizen to be any portion of East and West Berlin without proper documentation. Following this there is a brief encounter between German investigators and the mother of Sophie. After an ongoing investigation into her sudden disappearance, authorities have come to inform her that Sophie has crossed boarder lines illegally, and by doing so, she has now declared herself as part of the enemy. Her mother remains committed to the understanding that all she wanted to do was visit her aunt and return home in just a few days time. The police affirm that because she chose to cross any part of the boarder without official authorization, she has now declared herself an enemy of Germany. Her mother is now being ordered to severe all contact between herself and Sophie. If she were to continue having correspondences with Sophie, she would also constitute herself as a member of the enemy.Sophie and her Aunt are each revisiting old photos of when Sophie was just a little girl. Both of them have made the same distinction that in every picture the two of them ever took together, they always could see the two of them always holding hands. Sophie then makes the point that when she was a child, and even to the present day, her aunt said Sophie would always be her Aunt special little girl. In this same setting Sophie make another for her to pin a letter to her expressing her love for her. The Aunt said, should would if she could. With all prestige and money she ever made. Sophie was the one her Aunt loved most. This scene is followed by a short sequence of Sophie swinging back and forth on a swing set hug from a tree as her aunt looks on through the living room of the house. Konrad standing still in contemplation about what he will be doing with life until he knows his beloved Sophie is back in his arms forever. Following this Konrad pivots around and finds himself staring at an arching bridge with a passing train.We next hear the shouting of orders of what to do if any civilian try and jump over the wall. The German Army has established border patrol units to monitor the wall around the clock. This is the first of its kind, and to the Germans is the most humane way to police and cut down on then number of people making attempts to hurdle the wall. Those who do not choose to follow these new regulations are considered a member of the enemy. The scene is a small band of patrol officers running through the drill of Stop, do not move or I will shoot! The solider is than to run an stab the escapee with his basinet in both the right and left lung. Konrad is one of the men required to take part in this drill. As the drill makes his way down the first line of boys, he comes to a boy, as it is his to simulate the drill. The boy can only muster the words, stop dont move. This only irritates the drill instructor and reminds him, he is a solder. The orders are, find capture and destroy. When the boy is told to carry on, he boy can only say stop, dont move1 The instructor then approaches him and says, Are you against Peace? Fall out! With a single act, a feeling is placed within the heart of Konard, the strongest example for change is silent disobedience.This is follow by a span of the wall. The wall is out fitted with guards stationed all along the wall acting as surveillance for the patrols down below. Next we see and hear a series of two pre-recorded forms of propaganda media transmitted on two moving trucks with megaphones one side of the wall is calling for the end of the wall and the oppression of the German people. On the flipside of all that there is opposition propaganda calling for the reform of East Germany, there is only one group of Germany that will survive such a war, and those are those members of the socialist party. Solders layer all of this radio propaganda up above the wall, and those on the ground monitoring checkpoints of those approaching the wall and than waving to family members across the wall. The soldier maintains a watchful eye one the slightest gesture could initiate a possible attempt to hurdle the wall. Patrol guards understand that if its see the actions of its laws taking affect, the chances of one, or large number of civilians hurdling the wall is greatly reduced by having such measures in place. Konrad knows in his mind and heart that he be given a chance to be re-united with his beloved Sophie one day very soon.We next enter the Konrad dinning room during a family meal. The subject has turned to the topic of why Konrad was put on the border to serve out his probation for him choosing not to participate in the drill exercise that was talked earlier. The family seems a bit on edge because of why Konrad was assigned to border patrol in the first place. The family discussion becomes heated as everyone professes their own opinion as to why the family has become so argumentative since every sibling in the Konrad household has been affected in by the presence of the wall, in one way or another.We come to a moment now where Konrad has been asked to work the night shift. In the silence of the night Konrad tries to make a run for it over the wall without detection. He know that is as good of an opportunity he might ever get. Through his binoculars he surveys the distance from the guard shack to the wall. He then turns and calls for his partner Ouve, who is sleeping on his watch. After a second of calling his name, Konrad quietly as possible begins his slow descent from the guard tower to the base of the tower. Check the observation window a final time he makes his way towards the wall. When the end is in sight Konrad recognizes a familiar command Stop, or I will shoot! as Konrad turns both he and his partner are a bit confused on what to make of the events that had just transpired. Ovue, is bound to know why Konrad was running from the guard shack. Konrad reported he something moved towards the wall to investigate. Ouve then responded that he would have report Konrad for regulation practices. Konrad was also quick to remind Ovue, that he should be reported for sleep on his watch. That is an offense also worthy of investigating.We now sift to Sophie and her comrades who are all gathered around the television listen to the lasts reports on those attempts that have tried and failed. The news report advised its listening audience to exercise caution when contemplating a boarder crossing. The Report also makes a strong emphasis against building tunnels for the simple fact that no matter how well constructed they may appear to be, it would only take a moment to have it all come cashing down. The final comment the report did make was, there would come a day, where there be no wall.Next is a scene of reuniting of Max, Sophie, and Wolfgang and Monika. Max has made it a job of providing worthy patrons safe passage across the border while avoiding detection. Word has reached Max about the relationship between her and responsibility of maintaining his position as a boarder patrol officer would a bit more for anyone to handle. Max inquires of Sophie, what if Konrad would not want to come back? Sophie just knew that he Konrad would just about anything to see Sophie in his arms again.
We next meet Konrad at the train station surveying the trains as they pull into the station. We then see a man in black leather scanning a photograph of Konrad and Sophie, at which point, the man strategically walks past Konrad as to not make anything suspicious. The two men exit the station together headed two the street. The conversation was brief instruction on the plan is to follow through. There is no turning back now. If Konrad sticks to the plan, Konrad would be reunited with his beloved Sophie in no time. Later that same afternoon as Konrad was exiting a railway car. Konrd becomes a first hand witness to a pubic abduction of women by two men and shoved into the back seat of an unmarked car that was following a second lead car. The cause of the cause for the kidnapping and the two unmarked vehicle is yet to be determined.We next meet up with Sophie who is working a fashion show when Wolfgang has come to inform her about the groups latest attempt to crossing proved to be a failure, as only the first five members of group made passage safely. When Sophie asked if Konrad had made it as one of the first five, his only response was, he was lucky that he never showed up. Sophie simply did not want to belief what she had been told. She had to put this all behind here, as she was in the middle of a fashion show. It was not until after the show that Sophie found a couch, for now, she was convinced that Konrad had really been captured. There is also fear within Sophie might never be able see ever again. The next scene is simply acts as a continuation of the pervious one. The only difference this time it is Konrad who is found out sobbing for witnessing the kidnapping of that girl and no being able to do anything to stop it for fear that his true identity is discovered and might be the one who is forced to slave around for amusement of everyone else.We now transition to the summer of 1968, where Konrad has been sent to work for the Astronomy institute in Potsdam under the tutelage of the ability to do research and build a resume of credits to his name without have to have fear of his true identity being discovered. During all his years in the observatory. Konrad also changed his first name to conceal his connection within any and all ties with the people of Germany. Over his tenor there, he had learned to establish a theory and build such a machine that could demonstrate the practical application of Herr Richter Dynamo theory and has been in asked to give a lecture at the IAU Conservatory in Prague. The lecture would to explain the appearance of sunspots. Before leaving for Prague Konrad meets up his Barbra and her friend to share his excitement about going to Prague for the first. His trip will not just be about business, it will also to surprise Sophie with a letter in a sealed envelope with the goal being to ask her to marry him.Once in Prague According to the letter that are to meet in front of the statue with three statues. After some time has passed Sophie asked a store clerk where the specific statues were located. As it turned out the statue of three was really a statue of four. It didnt long after that to find one another after that, because when they did, their embrace was a firm as it ever was. It simply became a joy to be together again at last. Over dinner set all the uncertainties right again. After dinner the two ran circling the fancy hotel and for the time in each of Konrad & Sophie enjoy a night of intercourse.Following day Konrad is late arriving at his presentation. Upon arriving at the seminar, his friend and has all ready taking the liberty to start explaining many of the information contained on the slides. Once Konrad arrives he simply picks up where his friend Edward Lornez had finished. Once sitting the down a friends of the doctor, suggests that he tri and find out as much as he can about them. So at the conclusion of the seminar the doctor invites the two of them for a drink. During their time the good doctor learns all he can about his two young friends, this in turn puts Konrad and Sophie a bit on edge, because they do not want to give away information that would expose them and be sent back to Germany.Next we find Konrad and Sophie and a historian and discussing new theories relative to the sun energy. Next we see the three friends at a dance club enjoying a bit of fun dancing to up tempo song of rock in roll. That night Konrad and Sophie are awakened to the sound of breaking glass, and the rumbling of German tanks that have made their way into the streets of. Konrad and Sophie look on, as they are not sure what the future from this moment on. At the break of day, citizens have taken the streets trying to collect any information as to way the tanks are present-many people are simply obtain and the scene is simply utter chaos. In the next sequence of scenes images and audio recordings relieve the events of the riots that broke out that year in 1968. We than transition back into the sequence of our story. After all that has transpired the last few days, small numbers of people have began to assemble in response to those Germans who sacrifice their lives for a cause. Standing of a government building a group of silent protesters with signs are approached by German police officials and asked what is the meaning of this small gathering? The simple reply is, in memory of those who have already die as a result of such a war. The reaction from the police is standard, all citizens who assemble in opposition to the to the affairs of the government will be sent to detained with out any further argument. Any that should resist will be taken by force. | violence, murder | train | imdb | Recent German History summed up in compelling drama.
THE PROMISE (Das Versprechen) by Margarethe von Trotta is must viewing.
There is no easier and more entertaining manner to understand recent German, and Central European, history than by watching this film.
It plays very well on video, and the interesting locales and action will excite those who dislike subtitles.
THE PROMISE is an epic drama focusing on divisions: in love, in a nation, in its capital city, in its politics, and in love.
Indeed a love story is the vehicle used for this extraordinary epic, recounting the three decades between the Berlin Wall's first barbed wire, and its fall.
Some critics, forgetting what a historical epic requires, dismiss the film as cliche-ridden.
Well, of course, "War and Peace", "Gone with the Wind", "Dr. Zhivago", were successful due to the use of composite characters or cliches.
These are necessary to explain history in a medium like the cinema.
Ms. von Trotta is to be congratulated not only for this and other great political films (i.e."Rosa Luxemburg") but for being one of the only German filmmakers to tackle the controversial topic of German reunification.
A declared socialist from Western Germany, Ms von Trotta lends the film a point of view that is as unbiased as I can imagine.
Don't miss it.
A lot of people did because of the film's timing.
The last thing I guess most Germans wanted to see at the movies in 1994 was a reminder of the results of reunification.
For this reason, this great film was unfairly denied its place in European Film History..
Incredibly realistic.
As the film covers 30 years, the key emotional points of such a story are incredibly accurate.
The film's tone is brilliantly handled, the delicate weakening of the spirit, the darkening of the world, the East buildings subtly not changing but getting older while the West becomes subtly more modern.
Unless one lived through much of the story, much may be missed.
But every detail is important.
Credit to the director, the writer and the actors for incredible performances: the repressed anger, the repressed joy, the repressed hope...
everything just below the surface.
Forever, the question, who could have done what differently?
There was never an answer then, and there is no answer now..
this movie doesn't break its promise of being great.
Portraying several friends separated by the Berlin Wall, "Das Versprechen" - called "The Promise" in English - hits you right where it hurts.
I thought that it was very interesting how the movie picks up about every ten years, showing the historical context each time (specifically the sign saying "Victory to the Vietnamese Revolution" in 1968, during Prague Spring).
To my generation, the Berlin Wall remains part of history (I was only five when it fell), so we have to rely on movies like this to understand the whole thing.
All in all, director Margarethe von Trotta did a very good job here, as did the whole cast.
Definitely worth seeing..
A Brilliant Drama of Romance and Distance.
This is one my favorite movies of all time.
I've read most of the negative comments on this one, and I agree with most of the criticisms.Nevertheless, despite some uneven patches in the storyline, this is one of the few movies I've seen that has real characters with real lives that I at least can relate to.
This movie ultimately is about humanity and how distance and proximity to what one loves and hates twists around who we really are inside..
Great Movie.
This is a great movie that many people can enjoy.
I have seen the movie a few times and never get tired of it.
It is a wonderful love story set in a terrible time.
This film definitely caught the feeling of the era and I would definitely recommend this movie.
Some people would be turned off because of the subtitles....but all I have to say is just give the movie a chance.
The acting is top notch and the style of filming is quite good.
It is a nice change from the constant Hollywood style that is usually forced upon us..
UNEASY POLITICAL DRAMA.
In an interview at the time of the release of this film Margarete von Trotta rather bragged about the fact that this was the first German (after unification) film after the fall of the Berlin wall that dealt with the 28 years of history on the East side of the wall.
This remains to be seen, but if so, is that a good reason to come up with this dim, tepid and obligatory romantic drama that is predictable from scene 1?
A drama in which the viewer no cliche spared?The film looks more a kaleidoscope of political events in which the two main characters just happened to be a part of.
The film never is a real drama and lacks every dramatic tension.
The two main characters are simply boring people (not helped much by the casting); all other characters are one-dimensional.
Some bad writing is also present: some characters, like the aunt, simply disappear from the story.
As to direction and filmmaking there are plenty of uneasy moments as well.
In the Prague scene the girl waits on the wrong spot for her friend; well, they just wait, but then "pop" a short scene in which she asks where this or that place is and then "pop": yes, there he is!
The scene of the father in hospital also just seems to come from nowhere.It all looks like as Von Trotta really wanted to show how very, very concerned she was about the 28 years of history and by that overplaying her hand.
She should either have elaborated the drama more, or have taken the trouble for a more thorough interpretation of the political situation.
As it is now it is a "everything political happens to poor us" drama.
I'm an 18 year old male college student, read my thoughts..
Hello, I viewed Das Versprechen in Germany during the summer of 1997.
Like most guys, I prefer the action genre, blood and guts and so.
I appreciate good love stories, but usually don't take to them.
My favorite genre is that containing art films and whimsical films(i.e. A Night on Earth, Il Mostro) I do not usually get emotional during a love story inspired film, but I did during this one.
It certainly was not close to the depth of say Sophie's Choice, however it was an extremely well done film.
I highly recommend taking a couple of hours to watch this film, after seeing it, one will feel better about one's person..
Excellent Political Entertainment.
Ms. von Trotta directs with a very sure hand this very large canvas political drama about the divisions the German wall put between friends on both sides and how foolish its arbitrariness was.
Wonderful acting and well worth spending time with.
Stunningly photographed, as well..
The Promise.
When the Berlin wall is built to split up the city, a group of youths try to escape from the East to the West.
Among them are Sophie (Meret Becker) and Konrad (Anian Zollner), but only the former makes it to the west.
Konrad stays in the East, becoming a successful astronomer.
Over the following decades, the lovers keep on living their lives with new families, occasionally meeting each other when circumstances are benign.
Older versions of Sophie and Konrad are played by Corinna Harfouch and August Zirner.Through the melodramatic romance of Sophie and Konrad, the film examines the effects of the Wall on the Germans.
Things are more complicated than "East is bad, West is good": there are movements to both directions, and people have many reasons to move, or to choose to stay.
The film conveys the atmosphere of disunity and bureaucracy well through realistic visual style, but the love story is strong in its own right too..
what you want to know.
I can only praise the makers of this film, because many people did not experience it and unhappily, some do not want to hear about it.
A female friend of mine recently told me, that now she knows why the Berlin Wall was built.
Why, I asked.
"Because the Russians didn't want the Americans to come in." It would be laughable, if it wasn't so sad.
This is a person with university education and supposedly she never heard of people trying to get out of East Berlin or other communist countries.
Most people form their opinions in their youth and many are not able to change their minds and admit to themselves, let alone to others, that they were wrong.
Simply they ignore the facts.
By the way, even after the wall went up, the Americans still could go to East Berlin, if they so desired.
It was built to keep ordinary people in, because East Germans were leaving through Berlin in alarming numbers..
Incredibly Moving Film.
I first saw this in a German language class, and even though I'm no where near fluent, I still find this to be more enjoyable and moving than many English movies.
Following the lives of two main characters, the film chronicles the period just after the wall's construction to the fall in 1989.
Though all protagonist characters are of course impacted negatively by the wall, the politics of a few characters are very complex and surprising.
This movie will undoubtedly make you think.
Aside from politics, the main plot is a love story, and it is very powerful.
The characters are imperfect, real and delightful.
All in all it is evocative, emotional, and never trite.
Great film..
Nice, deep detail.
As the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall approaches, I re-watched this film with more pleasure than the first time around.Others have commented much of what I'd have to say.
But one particularly touching scene stuck most in my memory: Alexander (from West Berlin) brings a toy panda bear to his half-sister Elizabeth (in East Berlin).
He suggests they could go to the Western Zoo to watch a live animal.
But Konrad, their father, knows this isn't possible at the time, and suggests the Eastern Tierpark instead - but they don't have pandas there, only brown bears.
So at night, he takes the panda from sleeping Elizabeth's arms, and paints it brown...Just retelling this little part of the film makes tears well up in my eyes again..
Sometimes, Deep Thought Drains Out The Passion.
*Potential spoilers ahead* Long, but really not absorbing, drama of the Berlin wall, as seen through the eyes of young lovers.
Set up against such an oppressive atmosphere as the new DDR (Communist East), the story spans almost thirty years.Frankly, it was numbing to see the protagonist (Konrad) bumbling about to and fro, as to whether he really wanted to leave the "Worker's Paradise." Well, as the saying goes: Indecision is a decision.
Konrad's father is a party member, and he is bright.
He'll achieve and live well, if he stays politically on the right side of the party.
No one could condemn Konrad if he did.
Nobody purposely tries to make their life miserable, unless they like pain.
This issue really lies at the heart of exactly what is wrong, with DAS VERSPRECHEN.
The plot tends to amble, and we are introduced to characters with names and backgrounds.
They enter the story, and without or very limited explanation, they pass through the checkpoint into oblivion.
Unfortunately, so does the unwilling viewer.
By the time we are way into the movie, and Konrad still tries to fool himself, by defending his unwillingness to go to the West on a trip of his shoe laces.
It is then, when the viewer not only has lost any empathy or respect for him, but also might draw the ire of the viewer, as well.
THE PROMISE ponders way to much, and the passion of the characters tend to taper, due to the plodding script.
It is recommended, however don't expect to be sitting on the edge of your seat.
If you do, you might nod off and fall off. |
tt0078721 | 10 | During a surprise 42nd birthday party for George Webber, a well-known composer of popular music, he finds himself coping badly with incipient middle age. When he catches a glimpse of a mysterious woman en route to her wedding, he is instantly obsessed by her beauty, and - despite the presence of his lover Samantha Taylor - follows the woman to the church where he crashes into a police cruiser and is stung by a bee. George visits the priest, and learns that the woman is Jenny Miles, daughter of a prominent Beverly Hills dentist. Later that night, Sam and George have an argument about George's failure to give her the attention she needs, his use of the term "broad", and the fact that he and his neighbor (a wealthy porn producer) watch each other perform carnal acts using telescopes. The final straw for Sam occurs when George makes a remark subtly impugning her femininity at which point Sam leaves in a huff.The following day, George and Sam suffer a series of mishaps that prevent them from reconciling, including George spying on his neighbor until hitting himself with his telescope and falling down an embankment, causing him to miss Sam's phone call. In addition, George schedules a dental appointment with Jenny's father, and while in the dentist's chair, subtly leads the dentist into disclosing that his daughter and her husband went to Mexico for their honeymoon. The examination also reveals a mouthful of cavities, requiring the dentist to spend the entire afternoon inserting fillings in George's teeth. The after effects of the novocaine, which are aggravated by his heavy drinking immediately after, leave him completely incoherent and when Sam finally reaches him on the phone she mistakes him for a madman and calls the police. The police storm his house, but recognizing him they leave amicably. He visits his neighbor's house to take part in an orgy just as Sam arrives at his house, and she spots him through his telescope, widening the rift between them.Later, George impulsively follows the newlyweds to their exclusive hotel in Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico. In the bar, George encounters an old acquaintance, Mary Lewis, who suffers from a lack of self-confidence because she blames herself for a series of failed relationships. When they attempt a fling that night, she interprets George's inadequacy in bed as confirmation of her insecurities despite her better-than-average looks and easygoing disposition.One hot day at the beach, George sees Jenny - suntanned and dressed in a one-piece swimsuit and her hair braided in cornrows - which furthers George's obsession. He notices that David, Jenny's husband, has fallen asleep on his surfboard. Pretending to inquire about renting a surfboard, George learns that beyond a certain point are powerful currents that can sweep a swimmer or surfer dangerously far from land. George rents a catamaran, clumsily but successfully rescues David, and becomes a hero. Both Sam and his songwriting partner see him on TV Network News and Sam tries to call him, but George (unaware that it is Sam) refuses the call. David, badly sunburned, stays in the hospital, allowing Jenny and George to spend time alone together, culminating in Jenny seducing him to the sounds of Ravel's Boléro.Although George is initially elated to find all of his fantasies being fulfilled, he is horrified when Jenny takes a call from her husband while in bed with him and casually informs him of George's presence. He is even more confused when David responds with a complete lack of concern (he had called to thank George for saving his life). When Jenny explains their open relationship and mutual honesty, George is appalled; with the thrill of enjoying forbidden pleasures extinguished, he loses interest in Jenny (Jenny, for the opposite reasons, loses interest in him as well) and he heads back to Beverly Hills.At the end of the film, he reconciles with Sam by demonstrating a new maturity and, taking an idea from Jenny, he starts Ravel's Boléro on the phonograph and they make love with the music playing in the background. This is in full view of the neighbor's telescope shortly after the neighbor has walked away in disgust, complaining that he has had enough of providing erotic entertainment to George and getting nothing in return. | romantic | train | imdb | null |
tt0087777 | The Naked Face | A patient of Chicago psychoanalyst Dr. Judd Stevens (Moore) is murdered after a session, stabbed while wearing a raincoat belonging to the doctor. Police detectives McGreavy (Steiger) and Angeli (Gould) investigate. McGreavy bitterly resents the doctor from a previous case in which Stevens' testimony led to a cop killer being institutionalized rather than sent to prison.
The patient's personal problems are in question until Stevens' secretary is also found brutally murdered. Stevens realizes he is the murderer's target, while the detectives treat him as their prime suspect.
A widower, Stevens expresses concern to his physician brother-in-law about the cops' behavior. McGreavy in particular is so aggressive in his interrogations, Angeli reports him to a superior and gets McGreavy thrown off the case.
Posing as doormen, two armed gunmen break into Stevens' apartment. He holds them off until the brother-in-law and two paramedics arrive. Not trusting the cops, Stevens instead made an emergency call to the hospital for help.
Choosing a name out of the Yellow Pages at random, Stevens hires an old, quirky private investigator named Morgens (Art Carney) who lives in a rundown apartment filled with clocks and cats. Morgens saves his life by finding a bomb planted in Stevens' car. After he reports this latest attempt on his life, Angeli promises to lend Stevens a more sympathetic ear than his partner had. McGreavy, however, has secretly cut a deal with their captain to keep an eye on the case from a distance.
Morgens claims to know the killer's true identity, but refuses to reveal it over the phone because nobody can be trusted, not even the police. He tells Stevens to meet him after midnight at Navy Pier and mentions the name "Don Cicini." But when Stevens and Angeli arrive, they find the murdered body of Morgens, holding a cuckoo clock.
After doing some research, Stevens believes that Don Cicini is an Italian code name for the head of an organized crime syndicate. Offering to hide Stevens in a safe house, Angeli instead drives him to a countryside mansion where the phony doormen appear. Angeli draws a gun but points it at Stevens, telling him he trusted the wrong cop.
Stevens is taken to a crime boss, discovering that the mobster's wife is Ann Blake (Anne Archer), a quiet woman who has been seeing Stevens as a patient. Don Cicini feels he simply can't have anyone knowing his private business, despite the fact that Ann told the psychiatrist practically nothing during their sessions.
Stevens is taken to a warehouse to be done away with permanently. Angeli, expecting a payoff, is killed instead. Stevens tries to escape but is re-captured, then beaten savagely by the crime boss until McGreavy and a team of cops arrive just in time, having been called by Ann. Her husband is killed and the rest of his men are arrested.
At a cemetery where Stevens goes to visit his late wife's grave once a week, Ann Blake turns up to apologize for causing Stevens all this trouble at the cost of so many lives. He has quit his private practice, so she asks if that means he can see a former patient socially. It does and they begin to leave the cemetery together, but the doctor is in for one last shock: Ann is shot and killed by a mob sniper, leaving a grieving Stevens wailing over her dead body. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0086129 | Porky's II: The Next Day | Images from the first part of Porky.Edward "Pee Wee" Morris (Dan Monahan) wakes up shouting "I've been laid!" with joy. It's the following morning, after all the events in the first part. He increases the line in his maturity chart - the one he keeps under his mattress. His penis doesn't look as responsive as always, but he thinks it may be a resting time after the novelty of sex with a woman. His mother (Ilse Erl) enters his bedroom while he's got a boner - after watching toples women at The National Geographic magazine. Mrs Morris is dumbfolded when she looks at Pee Wee's chart.Back at Angel High School, Pee Wee brags about having Wendy Williams (Kaki Hunter) snatched from everybody else. His friends tease Pee Wee, saying that Wendy didn't think it was such a big thing. Wendy wants a better man - Wendy admits that it was all a prank planned by his friends: she really ended up satisfied.The Drama Club is producing a Shakespeare-based play for a theatre festival. All the boys in the festival are participating. Pee Wee interrupts a natural sciences lesson - the vivisected frogs are disgusting. Pee Wee is blamed for a joke which was not even his, but the science teacher (Howard Neu) tells him off. Pee Wee is jealous of Wendy, who is talked about a lot. She says that she's faithful, that people will talk about her without really knowing her, and that boys will always brag about things they haven't really done. Pee Wee tries to trust her, and says that he'll kick the ass of any boy who badmouths her from that moment on.Tommy Turner (Wyatt Knight), Tim Cavanaugh (Cyril O'Reilly), Billy McCarthy (Mark Herrier) and Anthony "Meat" Tuperello (Tony Ganios) are part of Pee Wee's gang. They are on friendly terms with new student Johnny Henry (Joseph Runningfox), who says hello to them. He'll participate in Shakespeare's play as well, alongside with Pee Wee and Tommy.Anthony has to dress up as a god fairy, which creates plenty of mockery around, especially with Pee Wee. Later, they disguise themselves to go to a carnival to see a well-endowed girl to dance something similar to the dance of the seven veils. The boys visit Gloria , and her MC (Peter Conrad). Pee Wee wants to get out on stage with his costume. He looks like a green Puck.Ms Beulah Balbricker (Nancy Parsons) and Reverend Bubba Flavel (Bill Wiley). Mrs Morris, Pee Wee's mother was the person responsible for the play. Mr. Floyd J. Carter (Eric Christmas) cannot stand up to Flavel's shouts and screams. They allege that Shakespeare is filth. Carter dismisses them after reading romantic passages from the Bible.Pee Wee finds another girl, and he takes her to the cemetery. He runs away. It's a prank - as Pee Wee shows himself stark naked. Laura gets undressed and wraps herself around Pee Wee. It looks like Laura is choking to death. Steve and Tommy say that Pee Wee is to blame for Laura's death. They can't call Ted (Art Hindle). Steve frightens Pee Wee, dressed as a zombie. So now, they accuse Pee Wee of killing two people; he runs butt naked. Ted and another cop see Pee Wee naked running on the road, but they don't stop to pick him up. They are dumb folded by Steve's disguise, but not afraid. He passes out.Somebody (Will Knickerbocker) has thrust a dummy against Johnny Henry, a Native American, kissing a white girl. The commissioners arrive; they are Hurley (Fred Buch), Couch (Richard Liberty) and Gebhardt (Edward Winter) will support the play, in spite of the racist comments.Balbricker sings and dances Black Magic while on the toilet, but the gang plays a prank on her. They open up the pipe and push a snake up. Balbricker runs in panic with her pants and panties down to the gym of the high school. All the school hears her screams and sees her. Later on, everybody panics, especially two cheerleaders (Francine Joyce and Wendy Becker) when they see the snake. Tommy says he's picked the snake and the coaches congratulate him for that.Carter interrupts rehearsals, when Johnny Henry was taking his role too realistically. Officially, the Shakespeare production is called off, but the classroom can rehearse as a private project classroom. One of them mentions that one of the commisoners exposed himself.Seward County Commissioner Gebhardt initially gestures Steve, Pee Wee, Wendy and the rest of the gang that Flavel's demands are ludicrous and unreasonable. The commissioners seem to think well of the production; Gebhardt praises them to fight for their ideals and for what they want. He tells them that he'll do a favour, in return of which he'll be offered another favour, and that's how things work, so they have nothing to worry about.John is beaten. The KKK opposes a Seminole character - his role is Romeo - to kiss a white girl - Wendy's role which is Juliet. A cross is burning next to him. 5,000 signatures are given to Geghardt against the play. Johnny's sword breaks and he has to pretend to keep on fighting with a broken sword in an absurd way. They give him the leg of a female mannequin.Flavel insists in shutting the production down. Anthony shows him his balls. Mrs Morris tells him that the gesture wasn't helpful. Gebhardt gestures for the gang to keep calm, but he finally betrays them. Gebhardt is a pervert who will go out with Wendy, who is 17 and therefore still a minor. Wendy wants revenge.At Seward court, in the basement, commissioners love silent black-and-white porn flicks. They make derogatory terms. Wendy prepares a punch which looks like vomit. She goes to La fontana di voglio, a fancy restaurant. He is friends with the maitre d' (Robin Paradise and Ted Richert)The KKK is led to talk to John. The gym is packed with Seminole Indians, and they want to shave the KKKmembers' heads. Wendy enters dressed and talking like a prostitute, shouting and making a big scandal out of it so that everybody looks at her - which everybody does. She jumps on top of him and tries to shag him there. She puts her boa on a gentleman (William Kerwin)'s head, and she sings that she's going on 17 that day, and that she was 14 when she first met him. Wendy will cry rape if he goes away: she says that she's pregnant of him.During Flavel's speech, he sees he KKK members stark naked. Then, the recording with the commisioners badmouthing Flavel and talking about the porn flick is played for everybody to hear. The public gets restless and Flavel loses it, swearing like a maniac to the press. Wendy gets drunk and drinks the gentleman's cup, and she repeats her date's name and position. Wendy vomits in a pool, and all the restaurant-goers leave. The gentleman even saw Wendy take out the vomit from one of her fake breasts. Pee Wee takes a picture of Gernhardt in the pool. They leave to the sound of We're going to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz, because because because.... The news jumps to the newspapers and Gernhardt quits his post.The Shakesperean Festival is on again, announced on the first page. Johnny is a hero. Wendy and Pee Wee are together again. The KKK members try to discreetly leave. One of them is kicked in the head by sweet ladies with umbrellas. The restaurant will be no more. Flavel tries to strangle one of his old accomplices. | revenge, cult, satire, humor, prank | train | imdb | This is not the sequel you've been waiting for."Porky's II: The Next Day" offers up some laughs but the rest is filled in with sub-plots about the KKK, political campaigning, American Indians and right-wing religion.
THIS in a movie with a character named Pee-Wee?Maybe Bob Clark felt he needed to do some social atonement for the non-PC stuff he committed in the original.
But just because it's PC doesn't mean it's funny.No Porky, no locker room humor, no Miss Honeywell, no shower scenes...
But Jewish people might get a good chuckle this time around and those who are Native American Indian might be offended or laugh as well.
The actual plot has their school putting on a production of Shakespeare plays and getting threatened by the Ku Klux Klan, an angry clergyman, and hypocritical politicians.
I nearly laughed myself hoarse during the restaurant scene, not only at what was happening but also trying to imagine how much fun they must have had filming it!
As often happens, this sequel to PORKY'S (1982) is inferior to the original - but, then, neither is it as bad as Leonard Maltin claims in his esteemed Film Guide!
It does cheat by forsaking the titular establishment entirely, though the formula is pretty much the same as before - except that here some of the characters from the original disappear and are replaced by new ones, while the girl who was involved with the protagonist in the first film gets a bigger part this time around.
Again, the film pits a certain minority - in this case, American Indians - against a bigoted community.While the film's major asset has to be the over-the-top characterization of the hypocritical Reverend, there are almost as many belly laughs here as in the original.
Bible' quoting duel (even if it's kind of silly and out-of-character to have the boys involved in putting on a show of the Bard's work in the first place) and the individual come-uppance of the gang's various antagonists - the KKK (in the school gymnasium), the duplicitous board member (humiliated in a restaurant prior to re-election) and the aforementioned evangelist and his flock (at their own rally).P.S. Interestingly, co-writer Alan Ormsby had previously collaborated with Clark on his first two horror outings - CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972; which I've never watched) and DEATHDREAM (1972)!.
If you want to know what is generically funny about this film, read the review for Porky's.
C'mon people, this is one of those films where you check PC at the door!While it *is* crude, it has some truly great funny moments in it, such as the duel of Shakespeare/Bible quotes (I shamelessly admit I love it when the principal says "Get the fluck outta here!"), the duel on the stage replacing a sword with a female mannequin leg (the death moment is priceless), and Wendy's besequined tart role-play humiliating the handsome jerk politician at a high-profile restaurant ("It tastes much better going down...!" EEEEW!!!)Another thing I love about the Porky's films is the male nudity.
Writer/director Bob Clark must've made a mint from his box office smash Porky's, so I can't really blame him for capitalising on his success with a guaranteed cash-cow sequel that repeats the same formula of dumb pranks and penis gags, while once again throwing in some racial tension to drive the story.
What I do blame him for is making the film such a laugh-free mess, while toning down the raunchiness, one of the few factors that made the first Porky's bearable.No-one in Porky's II gets laid: they're too busy prancing around on stage in a dreadful Shakespearian high-school production, which brings them to blows with a local evangelist Reverend Flavel (Bill Wiley), who deems the show obscene, the KKK, who object to Seminole Indian John Henry (Joseph Runningfox) playing the part of Romeo, and sleazy county commissioner Gebhardt (Edward Winter), who tries to seduce Pee Wee's girlfriend Wendy (Kaki Hunter).
The sequel to the original sleeper hit is more disgusting and foul than ever as this time the sex driven teenagers are up against city council and a pushy religious fanatic by the name of Bubba Flavel as they want to close down the school theater because the reverend disapproves of the sexuality in Shakespeare.
Like the first Porky's I reviewed, I had written that the film needed to make up its mind: either make it a comedy or a drama and end it; it still suffers the same problem.Like the first movie, the pranks were a joy to watch.
Why didn't Bob Clark from the first Porky's shoot the sequel at the same time?
It should have been a famous comedy, instead it turned out as being a strange cocktail of a propaganda movie (how fun is it to be a young American high-schooler), impossible situations (reverends fighting against Shakespeare plays), tasteless and unconvincing nakedness scenes (abuse of male bare behinds especially).
i had never taken the time to watch porky's 2 until tonight (on comedy central).i found nothing funny about it, and i am a big comedy fan and can usually find some good in everything.
Porky's is generally considered to be the movie that started the high-school sex-comedy subgenre, yet its sequel has very little nudity and not a lot of jokes either.The movie starts off pretty well with a story about Pee-Wee trying to get revenge for the Cherry Forever prank in the previous movie, but soon veers off into an after-school-special-with-swearing about censorship, corrupt politicians and racial intolerance.
This film follows on from the events of the first film but surprisingly the events at Porky's aren't mentioned; instead the characters are more interested in the fact that Pee Wee had sex with Wendy.
if the students don't get their revenge in first.It is odd that a film called 'Porky's II' doesn't feature the character but once it gets started he is soon forgotten.
The plot involving Pee Wee setting up his friends for the 'graveyard revenge' was silly but did provide some decent laughs, especially as it reached its denouement.
Overall I'd say this was about as funny as the first even if it doesn't really feel like a 'Porky's' film..
This film takes up immediately where the last picture left off with "Wendy" (Kaki Hunter) and "Pee Wee" (Dan Monahan) having just gone all the way but now beginning to have romantic feelings for one another afterward.
In the meantime, the drama club which Pee Wee and his friends have joined are preparing for a high school play based on Shakespeare but they are encountered by a local church group who plan to shut it down because it offends their sensibilities.
That being said, the film lacked any credible sense of realism and this hampered what could have been a pretty good comedy all things considered.
This is clearly a fun-filled sequel to the original classic film because once again, the eccentric cast of characters really show great chemistry amongst each others and only a few characters have truly transitioned.
Tim is no longer the racist good guy he was in the beginning and is best friends with Brian, who also has gotten his rank upped to major player.This isn't a bad movie and indeed there are some great cheeky moments and scenes but the overall feeling of the movie is one of desperation, thankfully the follow up to this was great but to follow a classic like Porky's i expected much better.
The usual misfits from angel beach return led by the great peewee,and they are involved in a school play but when they cast an native American Indian then the local church and KKK group get involved in protest.
I suppose that's the problem here as the film takes a stance against racism which is all well and good but it isn't great in the company of the filthy jokes and just seems to be there to gain acclaim and from what i read this wasn't a success upon release so hey ho to that idea.
The full frontal nudity is entirely male, a group of ugly shaven headed gentlemen running toward the camera (don't ask).You may actually be able to remember a couple of the characters from the first movie: Pee Wee and Meat.
Who doesn't like shower scenes, and spending the rest of your time trying to get laid, and playing practical jokes on your friends?
Fortunately for Mr. Clark (and I didn't know about his untimely passing a few years ago until I read these reviews), he came back pretty strong writing Porky's Revenge..
Having enjoyed the original Porky's film I was expecting more of the same but alas I was to be disappointed.This movie is just terrible.
I've seen some really bad films in my time, but this has to be up there with the best of the worst.
The actors is OK, but the plot and the fact that it never becomes funny make this film a must to miss.
They really tries to make some funny scenes in the movie, but nothing seams to work as in the first one..
Rated R for Language and Nudity.I have not seen the original 1982 film "Porky's".I have heard of it though.It was the highest grossing Canadian made film until "Bon Cop Bad Cop" came out.So I decided to watch Porky's II yesterday night when it was playing on IFC.Porky's II is a teen comedy.Its like the American Pie of the 1980's though I preferred American Pie.The film takes place in 1954, a day after the original Porky's.The film has some very funny moments and if you are a fan of teen comedies, check this one out.This film is about a bunch of teenagers who tries to stop some religious fanatics and the KKK from banning the Shakespeare school play.Many humorous things ensue.Porky's 2 is a very funny film and I recommend it for fans of films such as American Pie..
porky's II was sometimes funny, and entertaining, but it could'en top the first one because it just didn't deliver like the first one did.
Before there was "American Pie," there was "Porky's," the classic '80s sex-comedy created and directed (for two out of three installments, anwyay) by the late, great Bob Clark.
Pee Wee, Tommy, Meat and the Angel Beach gang don't have to deal with old Porky this time around; instead their school's big drama club presentation of the works of Shakespeare is being threatened by a fire-and-brimstone preacher and his flock, who claim The Bard's works are "indecent." To complicate matters further, the production's "Romeo" happens to be played by a Native American, which brings the local KKK into the picture.
You'll still get your share of goofball raunchy bits (don't miss the scene involving "Graveyard Gloria," which also features the best bit of comic zombie action ever filmed) but at the same time, you'll cheer as you watch the irritating Holy Rollers and clueless Klansmen get their comeuppance.I may be in the minority, but I think the "Porky's" series actually got better as it went along.
I prefer "II: The Next Day" over the original, and the 3rd film, "Porky's Revenge," is my favorite installment overall.
If you're looking for an '80s flashback, or just an immature chuckle, then give this one (or any of the "Porky's" films) a spin and give your inner 14 year old the time of his life.
Back are all the same characters (except Porky!) but missing are the funny situations and much of the previous film's charm.
There are a few very funny moments, but nothing like we saw the first time around.Bob Clark was also in the midst of making A Christmas Story at the time.
However you slice it, the laughs just aren't there.Our story begins (like the title says) the very next morning after the boys destroyed Porky's nightclub.
There are various plots here and there: the kids are putting on a Shakespeare play and a local church considers Shakespeare obscene (???) and tries to close it down; a Seminole Indian has a part in it and the local KKK wants him out (remember--this was 1954); there's another gag to sexually humiliate Pee Wee (Dan Monahan) and Coach Balbreaker (Nancy Parsons) again has a cruel trick played on her.
Still I have to admit there were a few parts that got me laughing--when the dean of the school battles with the self-righteous reverend over Shakespeare being dirty they both quoting bits from the Bible and Shakespeare that are pretty racy (this is pretty intelligent for a sex comedy); a bit with Graveyard Gloria; one of the guys dressed as a corpse and getting totally drunk; a sword fight; the KKK getting what they deserve and Wendy Williams (Kaki Hunter) date with straight-laced Commissioner Gephardt (Edward Winter).
Luckily they have a good script and a top director (Bob Clark) helming this so it works.This isn't a good movie by any means but I'm giving it a 4 for the funny bits..
"Porky's" spawned 2 sequels nowhere as funny as the original and rather forgettable.
The same sex craved, funny bunch from Part I are now totally into a serious Shakespeare's school play and butt heads with the local KKK because they have an Indian kid in the cast..
It's hard to believe, that this movie takes place the next day, after you know....
There's some real lessons to be learn't here, and who would think this movie, would be the one, but still this doesn't compare with the originality and freshness of the first, despite this one having some genuine qualities, and some absolute screams of laughter scenes, in a somewhat calmer Porky's film.
The graveyard scene is pretty funny especially with the guys holding back the laughter.
Other than the graveyard, I didn't find this movie as funny as the original..
This first highly unnecessary sequel to "Porky's" again focuses on some bad guys getting their comeuppance, only this time I just really didn't care.
The plot about some religious fanatics trying to shut down the production of a Shakespeare play didn't really work for me, mainly because the villains are so over the top they throw you right out of this movie.
Well, just about everything ...The original Porky's helped to create the genre of the American high school sex-comedy - still a hugely popular and bankable theme today.
In the sequel the main motivation of the characters is to get a series of Shakespeare plays performed by their school drama group.
It takes some suspension of disbelief to think that the likes of Pee Wee and Meat are going to do battle with folk of angel beach so they put on the works of the great bard.The villains of this piece are also poorly realised.
The role of Miss Balbricker is downplayed and Porky (the title character!) doesn't even appear in the film.The "jokes" here are laboured, far outstaying their welcome.
To be this bad takes sausAGES.Fans of the Porky film are not hard to please.
It was well written and (Spoiler alert!!) features corrupt preachers, politicians and the KKK getting their comeuppance.The kids wanted to put on their play and they had to deal with two-faced people who wanted to stop them; preachers and politicians that are sooooo hypocritical...and that message still rings true today.Fantastic social commentary, watch it again if you didn't notice before.I don't understand why this movie has such a low rating on IMDb or why some folks called it crap.
With most of the original characters, this should have been pretty good, unfortunately it isn't.I Think the problem is, the first movie had a story and plenty to drive it forward, this one doesn't really have a plot, and although it tries hard to be funny, it never re-captures the humour of the first film (The Graveyard scene is pretty funny though - Especially the zombie)Even if you have seen and enjoyed the first, avoid this and go straight for something else, try Porky's Revenge (III) it,s better than this rubbish.3/10 (only because of the graveyard scene).
Porky's absence kind of takes away from this sequel, but Balbricker as a devoted "member of the flock" is kind of funny.
It would be comparable to watching a Friday the 13th sequel, and there are no killings, but it is about teens at camp who protest the death penalty and spend the entire movie being politically active.A horrible horrible waste of time.
The whole movie is a lefty political manifesto of Greenwich village flavour, rather than a mild sexy comedy with characters such as "meat" or "pee-wee".
I've seen this movie lots of times, and it remains one of the most funniest movies ever made in my book!The entire sex-starved gang of Angel Beach High have returned, with a few new faces for "Porky's 2: The Next Day", and they're more ripe than a truckload of bananas in this one.Talk about funny!
And there can never be another Bob Clark around to direct such funny, laugh-til-you-cry movies such as "Porky's 2".If you haven't seen this, then you're hurting!.
To say this dumb movie was based on shaky foundations would be a major understatement.Premise 1: a bunch of sex-starved, braindead teens (played by adults) actually give three craps about a school production of a Shakespeare play.
porky's was a smash hit so obviously there was going to be a sequel, and unsurprisingly it wasn't as funny as the first, did you expect it to be, but never the less its great to be with the gang again, and there are still some laugh out loud moments here, thanks mostly to the ever great 'pee wee'.
the most surprising thing about this movie for me was that the whole cast from the first one came back for this, and there is its ,main problem, there are simply to many characters simply standing around doing nothing, sure its great there there, but at least give them some good jokes to do. |
tt0098663 | The Wizard | Jimmy Woods is a young boy who has suffered from an unnamed, but serious mental disorder ever since his twin sister Jennifer drowned in the Green River two years earlier. He does not interact with anyone, barely ever speaks, spends most of his time building things out of blocks or boxes, and he always carries his lunch box with him. He is determined to go to "California", at first nearly the only word he can say since the tragedy. The trauma of the drowning and Jimmy's condition have broken up his family; he lives with his mother Christine Bateman and stepfather, while his half-brothers Corey and Nick live with their father Sam. When Jimmy is put into an institution, Corey breaks him out and runs away with him to California. Christine and her husband hire Putnam, a greedy and sleazy runaway-child bounty hunter, to bring back only Jimmy; he competes with Sam and Nick to find the boys, and each group sabotages the other's efforts, resulting in chaotic confrontations.
Along the way, Corey and Jimmy meet a girl named Haley Brooks, who is on her way home to Reno. After discovering that Jimmy has an innate skill for playing video games, Haley (who nicknames him "the Wizard") tells them about "Video Armageddon", a video-game tournament with a $50,000 cash prize. She agrees to help the two reach Los Angeles to participate for a cut of the money. By doing so, they hope to prove that Jimmy does not need to live in an institution. The trio hitchhike across the country, using Jimmy's skill and appearance to hustle people out of their money by playing video games. Along the way, they encounter Lucas Barton, a popular preteen savvy video-game big-shot who owns a Power Glove and shows his skills at Rad Racer, declaring he is also entering the tournament.
They finally arrive in Reno, where it is revealed that Haley wants her share of the prize money to help her father buy a house. With the help of an acquaintance trucker, Spanky, they use money won at the craps tables to train Jimmy on several games in the Reno arcades, using Nintendo PlayChoice-10 machines. After a difficult search, Putnam catches up with the trio, capturing and losing Jimmy twice. At the tournament, which is held at Universal Studios Hollywood located in Spartacus Square, Jimmy qualifies as a finalist after a preliminary round of Ninja Gaiden. In between rounds, Putnam chases the kids through the park and almost causes Jimmy to miss the final round. The Woodses, the Batemans, and Putnam convene in the crowd as Jimmy competes with Lucas and another finalist in a game of Super Mario Bros. 3, which at the time had not been released in the United States. Jimmy wins the tournament at the last second after finding a Warp Whistle and getting the star, thereby winning $50,000.
On their way home, the family passes by the Cabazon Dinosaurs, a tourist trap, and Jimmy becomes so excited and restless that they pull over. He runs from the car up into one of the dinosaurs, his family in pursuit. Inside, Jimmy takes from his lunchbox one of his pictures of Jennifer, taken at the foot of the dinosaur with the rest of the family during a vacation, and Corey realizes that he simply wanted to leave his sister's mementos in a place where she was happy, which is why Jimmy wanted to come to California in the first place. He leaves the lunchbox inside the dinosaur and, at Christine's request, Sam drives the boys and Haley home. Haley kisses Jimmy and Corey after which Jimmy kisses Haley on her cheek as she laughs. | cult | train | wikipedia | It not only combined our two favorite entertainment vehicles -- Nintendo and movies -- but also provided a thrilling sneak preview of the year's most anticipated game, Super Mario Bros.
Nintendo was cool) thought they'd died and gone to eight-bit heaven.When we finally got mom and dad to take us to the theater or pick up the video, THE WIZARD was every bit as good as we'd hoped.
The people who made this movie, whatever their intentions, did.Most eight- or nine- or ten-year-olds who caught THE WIZARD upon release would give it two big thumbs up, if not the Oscar for Best Picture of All-Time.
Throw in Christian Slater as a bad-ass older brother, a love triangle with three 13 year olds, the power-glove, and the song "Send Me and Angel" by Real Life and you have 1 intense peice of cinema.
I remember how excited I was at the prospect of Super Mario Bros 3, and this movie plays up to those expectations very entertainingly.If you love videogames, the film is a fascinating cultural artifact.
The Wizard was made to feul sales for Nintendo in promoting it's newest video game, Super Mario Brothers 3, which I understand to be the company's best selling game of all time (and with good reason).
You get to see some the greatest Nintendo games (Double Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) The Adventures of Zelda, Excite Bike, and Rad Racer) in addition to other Nintendo accessories such as The Power Glove ("I love the Power Glove, it's so bad.") It's so effective in selling Nintendo nostalgia (though it wasn't quite nostalgia when the movie was made), that it will make you want to pull out the old console--or emulator--and have a crack or two at some games again.
A touching drama about a young boy's quest to help his autistic younger brother and a troubled young girl they meet along the way running from her own demons.....Okay, so it's mostly just a 90 minute commercial for Super Mario Brothers 3, but it's also a great road movie with plenty of classic 80's quotable material ("I love the Power Glove.
The plot seems a little out of left field but under the right circumstances could probably happen.Great performances are given by Fred Savage as Corey, Christian Slater as Nick the typical teenage older brother and Beau Bridges as Sam the good hearted father(reminds me alot of my father).When it gets down to it The Wizard is a great movie for all ages to enjoy.5 out of 5 stars..
Is it because Nintendo is no longer in the video game movie making business and is on bad terms with Universal?
The Movie was made and released at that time as a promotional engine for a very popular new video game franchise title,that was released soon after 'Super Mario Bros.
It's a movie about kids playing video games.
to go with the video game plot there is a plot that's bigger than that in this movie.about a kid that almost never talks,and tries to leave on the road a lot.his half brother cares about him more than anybody else does.
they both go on a road trip by walking,and sometimes hitching to cali.along the way they pick-up a young teenage girl.that gives them the idea that the kid is good at playing video games,and that they should go to los angeles to enter him in a video game contest if he wins they would'en wanna keep him in a home.the family of the kids brother is after him riding in a truck.also a private investagater hired by the kids mom is also going after him.
The Wizard is a late-eighties film about a seriously silent boy's ability to play video games and walk during the entire opening credits.
I use the word "designed" in the loosest sense possible, because it seems like this movie was written over a weekend by a crack team of people who had never played Nintendo, and directed by a man with less sense of style than my grandmother.
When one hears about a movie that not only is starring the greatest actor of our generation, but is also of the most serious and awesome subject if video game playing, one knows they are in for a treat.
One small kiss for Fred, one giant smooch for movie-kind.So not only are we drawn into the exciting plot of video game tournaments and Fred's love life, but we get a special surprise at the ending.
A bit of a cult classic highly regarded by video gamers (wheather they've ever actually seen the film or not) if only for one line: "I love the PowerGlove; its so bad!" Lucas's immortal words proved to be more truthful than intended when the PowerGlove was released (after the movie was released) with a high price tag and lackluster abilities.
It was about kids playing video games, and at the time you saw it you likely had an obsession with the NES as well.
Its not a bad movie and its no master-piece, we should look at this for all that it shows, a piece of history that when i watch it gives me memories of me and my older brother playing nintendo for hours on end.
film critics reviews(mainly because most of them wouldn't even touch a game let alone play one),sure I too thought that if you're a PSX or sega fan or non-VG or anti-VG somebody you might not like this film actually the "Commercialism" as so many critic's & people in the aforementioned categories above said is actually an interesting way to bring appeal to small-to-teenish children,& besides it has a charming story behind it (Fred Savage) is commonly funny & Hailey is interestingly sassy & the Traumatized boy Jimmy (Luke Edwards) is funny & rather cute,& the villains the hired tracker & Lucas & the Later-teenaged-yeared thugs who attack the trio are those you can really boo & throw a bunch of things at,the soundtrack my biggest cheer is "Send me an Angel" from "Real Life" which it's arrival is one of the best part's of the movie,the biggest jeer placing a "New kids on the block"(I despise N.K.O.T.B) but the film tried to keep the fans happy so I won't mind too much..
The basic plot of this movie involves video games, and a video competition, but unlike other viewers, I don't think that's what this movie is about.This movie starts with a disturbed 10 year, old (Jimmy)running away from home, intent on walking to California.
The only reason they even play video games along the way is that they need money to fund their trip, and are using Jimmy's talent to hustle for money, and want to win the competition to get money.
This Movie really is fun to watch, also it is a great family film, It is suitable for children and parents would remember if they have older children the old 8-bit Nintendo and having they're kids and they're friends coming over after school and playing "Pro Wrestling" until their arms fell off.
The movie is an utterly shameless 100-minute commercial for Nintendo products, the then imminent release of Super Mario Bros.
Cory thinks that Jimmy wants to enter a video game competition at Universal Studios but really he just wants to visit the Cabazon Dinosaurs - the last place of happy memories before the death of his twin sister, and he just wants to let her go.Really heavy-going stuff, and not a film I can enjoy watching as an adult in that regard.
But it does win back some points for effective use of the original "Send me an Angel" by Real Life.Christian Slater and Beau Bridges pursue the boys as the older brother and dad, while a feisty teenage girl called Hayley helps them get to their destination on time.
But of course it was when the new game at the time was revealed "Super Mario Bros 3" I remember seeing that in the film and thought OMG, I never even knew the franchise was even developing a third volume so you can imagine how much it blew my mind.
But most importantly he does care about his young brother Jimmy Woods (Luke Edwards) whom is the video game wizard.
I wished in the Video Armeganon elimination sequence it was a montage, where I would of liked to of seen Jimmy play different Nintendo games and knocking down numerous competitors, the fact this didn't happen I thought was a lost opportunity.
Overall I think this is a fun and surprisingly touching sports movie and personally I like to see more sports movies based on the video game subculture.
I love that kid Jimmy they meet along the way with his "Power Glove" and his bad acting/dialogue.
I personally thought that the wizard was a movie that portrayed the life of a grief stricken boy who has a unique gift at video games.The only downside was having a Mean Child Tracker on your tail and a Father and a Son chasing also sought have brought them down just a little bit.
"The Wizard" combines comedy, drama, and Nintendo by the truckload to form a unique and genuinly moving character study of crazy kids who like Nintendo.The movie concerns the journey to California of Fred Savage, and his brother Jimmy(played with powerful solemnity by some kid), a Nintendo Wizard, as it were.
The goal is to reach a Nintendo Competition, where Jimmy will eventually face Super Mario Brothers 3, a game never seen until the competition.
The ensemble also includes Christian Slater as the third brother, Beau Bridges as the father, and some girl as the companion to the kids, who comes up with the idea of using Jimmy's Nintendo skill to gamble.
In no way should these flaws dissuade anyone from viewing "The Wizard." There are a lot of movies today about Nintendo competitions, but for look at the predecessor, rent "The Wizard." Truly a film classic..
It's made even better because it's clear no one who wrote the movie has ever played a video game in their life, with beautiful examples like playing nes exclusive games in an arcade and getting the star at the end of a level in Mario 3 getting you infinite points but only when The "plot" demands it.
This is like a Kids version of "Rat Race"Fred Savage takes his brother to California but along the way finds out his brother is super skilled at arcade games.
They also meet Haley who is the typical "Not a love interest but one of the boys" types you occasionally see in pre-teen movies and TV Shows.One thing that I heard about it was that this was just a big commercial for Super Mario Bros.
It's less obvious than Man Of Steel or Transformers 4 for example.Christian Slater and Beau Bridges are the Father & Son who try to get Fred Savage and his brother since they ran away.There are also several "Villains" that are pretty funny and have their spotlight.The only thing I did not like in the movie was that there was a lot of profanity for a PG Movie.
While at a bus station, they meet Haley Brooks (Jenny Lewis) and discover that Jimmy is a real wizard at video games.
A good way of telling if you will like this film is to watch the power glove scene.
It also contains some interesting and funny lines and memorable scenes, many which are spoken to or referenced today, for better or for worse.If you did not know, this film in general concerns a young group of kids trying to go to a video game championship themselves.
It's things like that juice-up the nostalgia meter, but don't do much to juice-up the likability of the film.The story is about two boys, Corey (Savage) and his brother Jimmy (Edwards), who run away from their parents after a family fights consume the house.
I find it incredibly hard to believe young kids aren't victim to trouble or abduction when they wander the streets aimlessly as runaways escaping kidnappers like they do it all the time.Every kid who saw this film came for the video game footage.
Corey and his half brother, Jimmy, run away and play Nintendo games on the original NES system.
While the Super Mario Bros Movie is the prime example of Nintendo butchering video game franchises in order to bring them to the big screen, one movie in 1989 was unlike all the others: The Wizard.The film begins with a mentally-unstable 6 year old boy named Jimmy.
It soon becomes apparent that Jimmy wants to go to California (VERY APPARENT), so his 13 year old half-brother Corey (Fred Savage) steals him from the mental institution, and they're on their way.
The film essentially preaches that hitchhiking is the best plan for 6 and 13 year olds, gambling is great for all ages, screaming about being raped in public to get someone is arrested is fine even if you're just messing around, never reprimand your kids for running away, charge as much money to a hotel room you can't pay for as possible, eat food that isn't yours, sell your parent's bus ticket for some video games
I think the point has been made.
Considering Nintendo's other film outings have been terrible at best, The Wizard is a refreshing movie that is definitely worth a watch if under the right mindset..
As a child who grew up watching television and playing video games, I was absolutely obsessed with this movie.
With a bit of time, I slowly realized that the whole entire purpose of the movie was to promote a new NES video game and attachments (the NES Power Glove).
Today, everytime i have a bad day at work, i automatically go home and pop in "The Wizard." I study Jimmy and his video game tactics, and I take notes.
(Yes, I went- made it to the semi-finals at least.) In response to a reviewer who thought it was dumb that the movie showed people traveling across country to play video games...
A film of our adoration for Nintendo from our childhood, which weaved together our love of movies featuring us kids as the heroes and our undying love of the video games.
For some reason, after seeing "The Wizard" again with older eyes, I just somehow didn't feel like video games for the time being.
He seemed to shift quite dramatically in his character in a way that left me completely unsatisfied.Good for a little trip down memory lane (for those who played Nintendo, or just a lot of video games).
he also has a great talent very few other kids have...he's a wizard at video games.
however, the only entertaining thing about this movie was the fact i could brag about how much i knew about the pre-90's video games the characters were playing.
"The Wizard" is a wondrously outstanding commercial for Nintendo's release of the video game "Super Mario Bros.
I had a Nintendo, and loved the fact that we were going to get a look at Super Mario 3.For a twelve year old the action was awesome, the romance between Fred Savage and Jenny Lewis was jaw dropping, plus the gambling in Reno and the final tournament.Now I see it was just a glorified commercial for Universal Studios and Nintendo, even though it had Christian Slater in it.
I still love the film for the nostalgia, like the power glove and the games like Ninja Gaiden, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and especially Super Mario Bros.
Fred Savage runs away with his autistic like brother off to California to play in a video game tournament.
If you want to remember how cool it was to play Nintendo, watch this movie.
I guess it all depends on the age you were when it came out, and whether you had or played the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).I was 11 when the movie was released, and my 7 year old brother and I dragged our mother to the theatre to let us see it.
Realizing that being in the custody of one or more of his parents will most certainly kill Jimmy (and that Jimmy has the superhuman ability to reach level 3 on Double Dragon), Fred Savage does the right thing and whisks his kid brother off to exploit his virtuosic video game playing ability for cash and prizes worth well over $130.
While kids these days would either roll around laughing, or scratch their heads in confusion at this film, anyone who grew up during the 80's, and more importantly, played video games during the 80's will, and probably have, enjoyed it.Now keep in mind I haven't watched the movie in about 5 years (WHERE'S THE DVD??), but I remember it like I watched it yesterday.
Nearly every video game that's played for any length of time in this movie is depicted incorrectly.
But back to the point when the wizard came out i couldn't wait to watch it and to be fair it was what it seemed to be a 90 min advertisement for Nintendo with the story if your good at video games people wont think your slow, well it had me convinced and so fred savage and co went on there little journey and played video games along the way they meet the little git who is the nemesis with his gay ass power glove i never had one but i heard from a reliable resource that they were pants what was good however was the joystick they used in the final game which was the game that we all wanted to play super mario 3 which at the time was the most amazing game around on an 8 bit systemand to make it even more fun they pointed out little tricks you could do in the game before it even came out the magic flute they got in the castle, interesting though that no one had played this game but they knew what everything did but it was a kids film and i was a kid who was captivated by this,but looking back the film was awful but i can still sit through it and i just cant bear to get rid of it its still got a hold on me in a weird nostalgic way i guess we cant let go of some parts of our childhood.
But this is the Wizard, the infamous movie about Nintendo games and such.. |
tt0117509 | Romeo + Juliet | In Verona Beach, the Capulets and the Montagues are arch-rivals. The animosity of the older generation—Fulgencio and Gloria Capulet and Ted and Caroline Montague—is felt by their younger relatives. A gunfight between the Montague boys led by Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, and the Capulet boys led by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, creates chaos in the city. The Chief of Police, Captain Prince, reprimands the families, warning them that if such behavior continues, their lives "shall pay the forfeit of the peace".
Benvolio meets Romeo on a beach. While playing a game of pool they learn of a party being held by the Capulets that evening which they decide to gate-crash. Romeo agrees to come after discovering that Rosaline, with whom he is in love, is attending.
The Montague boys meet their friend, Mercutio, who has tickets to the Capulet party. Romeo takes the ecstasy Mercutio gave him and they proceed to the Capulet mansion. The effects of the drug and the party overwhelm Romeo, who goes to the restroom. While admiring an aquarium, he and Juliet see each other and fall instantly in love. Tybalt spots Romeo and vows to kill him for invading his family's home, but Fulgencio stops him.
Romeo and Juliet sneak into an elevator and kiss. The nurse spots them when the doors open and drags Juliet away, while revealing to her that Romeo is a Montague. At the same time, Romeo realizes that Juliet is a Capulet. Mercutio takes Romeo from the party, but he sneaks back to the mansion, hiding under Juliet’s balcony. Juliet emerges into the yard and proclaims her love for him before Romeo sneaks up behind her. Juliet warns him that he is risking his life, but Romeo tells her he does not care whether he is caught. Knowing her nurse is looking for her, Juliet tells him that, if he sends word by the following day, they will be betrothed. Romeo visits Father Lawrence, telling him he wants to marry Juliet. He agrees to marry the pair in hopes that their marriage will help ease the tensions between the families. Romeo passes the word on to Juliet’s nurse and the lovers are married.
Tybalt encounters Mercutio just as Romeo arrives. Romeo attempts to make peace, but Tybalt assaults him. Mercutio intervenes and batters Tybalt, and is about to finish him off by hitting him with a log when Romeo stops him. Tybalt then wounds Mercutio with a shard of glass, which Mercutio claims is merely "a scratch". But as he realizes the cut is much worse than he thought, Mercutio curses both the Montagues and the Capulets before dying in Romeo's arms. Enraged, Romeo chases after a fleeing Tybalt and guns him down.
Captain Prince banishes Romeo from the city. Romeo goes into hiding with Father Lawrence, who treats Romeo's injuries and says that, after some time passes, he will help Romeo and Juliet return to the city and reconcile with their family and friends. The nurse tells Romeo that Juliet is waiting for him. When Romeo climbs over Juliet's balcony, she kisses him and they consummate their marriage. Fulgencio decides Juliet will marry Dave Paris, the governor's son.
The next morning, Romeo narrowly escapes as Juliet's mother tells her that the family has promised she will marry Paris. She refuses to marry, so her father threatens to disown her. Her mother and nurse insist it would be in her best interest to marry Paris. To get out of this, Juliet runs away from home and sees Father Lawrence, very angrily imploring him to help her and threatening to commit suicide. Father Lawrence proposes she fake her own death and be put in the Capulet vault to awaken 24 hours later. Romeo will be told of the plot, sneak into the vault, and once reunited the two can travel to Mantua. He gives her the potion which mimics death. After saying goodnight to her mother, Juliet drinks the potion and falls into a coma. She is found in the morning, declared dead, and placed in the vault. Balthasar, one of Romeo's cousins, learns that Juliet is dead and tells Romeo, who is not home when the messenger arrives to tell him of the plan.
Romeo returns to Verona, where he buys poison. As he goes to the church, Captain Prince finds out he is back, and tries to capture him, without success. Father Lawrence learns that Romeo has no idea Juliet is alive. Romeo enters the church where Juliet lies and bids her goodbye. She awakens just as Romeo takes the poison; the two thus see each other before he dies. After he dies, Juliet picks up Romeo's gun and shoots herself in the head, dying instantly. The two lovers are discovered in each other's arms. Prince condemns both families, whose feuding led to such tragedy, and coroners remove the two bodies. | comedy, boring, murder, cult, clever, psychedelic, action, romantic, tragedy, suspenseful | train | wikipedia | Beautifully choreographed and shot, wonderfully acted by both the supporting cast and the main 2 stars, Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, and extremely sly modernization techniques to the dialogue.
The amazing thing about this movie is that it has managed to re-do Shakespeare's famous tragedy in a modern setting while still retaining its original dialogue.
I admit that I was a little apprehensive about seeing this movie, fearing that Luhrman had either destroyed the play's beauty and power by setting it in modern times, or had butchered Shakespeare's eloquent words by making them sound more modern.
Almost everything about this movie is just incredible.Luhrman brilliantly casted Claire Danes as fourteen-year-old Juliet.
I know some people criticize this film for destroying the romance and beauty of Shakespeare's words by setting the story in modern day Verona, but I feel that it only made the film more romantic.
If you're a fan of Shakespeare like me, I think you will enjoy this hip, yet still lovely, modernization of his most famous play ever..
Soon after that we are introduced to Juliet who is played by the beautiful Claire Danes, someone I haven't seen in too many movies.
Danes was emotionally pure and driven, and this is her best work to date aside from the critical darling, "My So-Called Life." No, the leads were cast with good reason - there couldn't have been any better.
Luhrmann's version of this classic tragedy plays to both a younger and older audience, adding touches such as the names of the guns being the names of swords; and he yet updates the setting, bringing the fantastic Verona, Italy to Verona Beach, Florida.
Everyone is familiar with William Shakespeare's boy-meets-girl love story, and it has already been interpreted into films, plays, TV adaptations and songs.
But Baz Luhrmann gives this world-known love story a modern-day twist, setting it in Verona Beach, and piling on the religious imagery.
The result is quite spectacular.Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes play the star-crossed lovers, and, whilst the latter is sadly a little bland, never truly convincing us in her portrayal of Juliet's loss of innocence or torment of feelings towards the foe, DiCaprio completely redeems her performance.
This is epitomized in the opening shot of him, where the Leo is illuminated illustriously against the sunlight, and Radiohead's languid, sexy tune "Talk Show Host" plays.The film itself has "sexy" written all over it, and, with the Gen X teenagers as his target audience, I don't think Luhrmann would have things any other way.
But, unlike with that atrocity Moulin Rouge!, with Romeo + Juliet, the over-stylization is appropriate, making the movie more accessible to teens, for example, through gun warfare rather than swordplay, and the canny symbolisation of Queen Mab as a drug.
Romeo is presented exactly as the play does at first, the mawkish, gawky, lovesick teenager, then, the fickle boy, and finally, the devoted and caring lover, and much of this loyalty to the play is due to the screenplay from Luhrmann and Craig Pearce, which maintains the original memorable dialogue and descriptions, but also dares to stray from the sidewalk in some of the plot turns, and the film completely benefits from it.
Craig Armstrong's score for the swimming pool scene is as stunning as it is original, and the use of non-original music, from Kym Mazelle to The Cardigans, give the film the added edge of cool, making Romeo + Juliet one of the boldest, sassiest and most unforgettable adaptations to date, and English Lit. GCSE has been made far more digestible for us kids across England.
Director Baz Luhrmann knew what he was doing when he cast Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio in the title roles of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
Luhrmann creates a world where gun toting teens sport Hawaiian shirts and beach front brawls are an everyday event.Giving the classic play this modern twist makes for a new understanding of the text and brings the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets to a whole new level.
Shakespeare may be rolling around in his grave after seeing this film, but english classes all over the world can breathe a little easier when it comes time to take the R&J final exam because this new adaptation makes the theme remarkably understandable.Danes brings life and incentive to the character of Juliet.
Big names also lit up the credits of R&J with Paul Sorvino and Brian Dennehey as Capulet and Montague as well as Pete Postlethwaite as the star-cross'd lovers confidante, Friar Laurence.This is my favorite movie of all time and I believe it was sadly underrated..
But alas it suffers from another blessing which is also a curse: the story itself is so powerful that one can build any sort of film or play or whatever around it and have it be likely to work.
Admittedly, I first watched this movie when it came outbecause of Leo; eight years later (and seven years after middle school ended), I realize just how well-done this film actually is.
This film jump-started the trend of modern-day Shakespeare remakes, and I think it's the best one..
But with that freedom comes a brilliant opportunity of artistic expression from the director, and each choice of omission or interaction in this production was apparently made with great care to maintain the integrity of the story being told.To touch on comparisons between the 68 and 96 movies: don't try to tell me Leonard Whiting acted like he had any idea what he was saying.
After only watching a few minutes of this adaptation of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, I couldn't take much more of it.
I tried after a few minutes more but it's hard to take Leonardo DiCaprio who I believe is a very talented actor and Clare Dane who is just as talented playing in modern times.
If they had adapted Romeo and Juliet to more modern language, I think I would have bared the film in general.
Luhrmann's unoriginal reworking of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (the American youth gang scenario had been used many times before, once on film and over a dozen times on the stage) is a shallow experience, devoid of soul, with a feeble performance by Leonardo di Caprio.
If you want to see Romeo and Juliet on film, watch the 1968 version.
Call me old fashioned, but if a director interprets one of the finest theatrical works in the English language, it seems to me that he needs to do a better job than this.Harold Perrineau did a decent job at Mercutio in the context of a film that just doesn't get it done.
I think that his fatal mistake was choosing the setting of the movie to be in modern times.
In Romeo+Juliet, director/producer Baz Luhrmann takes the traditional story of "two star-crossed lovers," puts it in Verona Beach in about 1970, adds his own little motif of water, over-dramatises the whole story, chooses substandard performers, and to top it all, ignores half of Shakespeare's original text.In one of the first few scenes, through the chosen costumes, Luhrmann takes what was to some extent implied in the text, and makes Mercutio a transvestite homosexual, Tybalt a devil, and, using blatant stereotypes, Juliet becomes an angel, and Romeo a knight-in-shining- armour.
This may not have a huge effect, but when there are a number of similarly small events taken out, the effects add up, making what is an excellently written story into something much less powerful.One might think that, having not done too great a job in other aspects, Luhrmann might have done better on his choice of music.
For my ninth grade english class, I am currently studying William Shakespeare's tragic play Romeo + Juliet in both modern and old english versions.
I had never seen a more beautiful film.Baz Luhrmann's updated version of the play is absolutely stunning.
This is basically "Romeo and Juliet" in modern day dress full of arresting visuals, gunplay, loud 1990s music, wild dance numbers with all the cast members using Shakespeare's original dialogue!
The visuals are all incredible (director Buz Luhrmann always knows how to make a film look fantastic) and the movie almost never stops for a breath.
The casting and acting in this is all over the place.Leonardo DiCaprio (as Romeo) is a good actor, but he's just all wrong for this role.
I hated this movie not just because it was based on shakespeare's play but because the acting and the camera direction was so stupid.
Many of you have probably read the original version of Romeo and Juliet, or maybe have even seen the play.
Modernizing Shakespeare for the teens of today is a good idea - but this movie falls terribly short.After seeing this movie (I can't believe I watched the whole thing - I guess I thought it would get better), I was thoroughly disgusted.
The idea to modernize "Romeo & Juliet" isn't that bad, but the idea to give the Shakespeare style laungue is, so bad in fact, it made me laugh.
The frequent freezes on the "swords" and "daggers" were totally pointless and wasted time.In conclusion, I think you would have been better off watching the Zefferelli version of Romeo and Juliet, which was classy and very accurate to the actual text.
If I can only have swords like these boys do.From beginning to end this movie grips you and breathes new modern (and socially understandable) language into this film.
He tried to make the whole thing so trendy and hip by affiliating gangs, and such, but it doesn't work and comes out pretty campy.This movie sold well to little girls who like Leo Dicaprio, but no true fan of literature or cinema for that matter would like it..
I generally dislike movies that attempt to set classics in modern times, and this is no exception.
Furthermore, setting Romeo and Juliet in modern times necessarily takes the play entirely out of context, especially when using the original dialogue.
I liked how fast it moved too, it was almost exhilarating in pace, and I think the film makers did that purposefully to empathise how rushed Romeo and Juliet's relationship was.
Baz Luhrmann's direction was also a disappointment, sometimes in the early scenes it was so over the top that I forgot I was watching a version of Romeo and Juliet and thought I was watching a flash cartoon.
I am 14 now, and I read Romeo and Juliet, the play, for English as most freshmen like me have.
I had to watch it in class and then the following weekend, I went out and bought it because I enjoyed it so much.I really don't like Shakespeare at all, and I don't know much about "how good" actors are speaking in Old English, but I thought overall, Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes were good at it.
The two were supposed to play best friends but they only seemed like casual acquaintances and "drug buddies" in this movie.The special effects were great, and the music was wonderful.
This is a movie today's teenagers will enjoy, but if you're older, I would think that you would like the '68 version because it keeps the traditional stuff.
I think the best thing about this movie is that it brought Shakespeare to millions of people who would never have normally appreciated it.
Hey, knock it if you like but I think anything that might get more people reading or appreciating the written word can't be that bad.Highly entertaining, a heartbreaking romance, and a visual feast, Romeo + Juliet is a movie I've treated myself to at least once a year since I first saw it in '96.
the best delivering person in this movie is the priest, who actually feels like shakespears' character.
the maiden and juliet's fiance are also decent but the rest of characters ( including romeo, who smoke and do drugs ) are really annoying, to say the least.i think that is about it, a failed attempt to exploit on shakespears' play.
There are good "updates of Shakespeare..." "West Side Story" and "Forbidden Planet..." and then there are films like THIS.
If on the other hand it was meant to appeal to a younger generation and to perhaps introduce Shakespeare to a whole new audience then it surely fails on the grounds that the original script is kept despite the modern day setting.
some reviewers see the the actors as trying to get through their lines as quickly as possible, but when you consider Leonardo Di Caprio when to Australia (flying Coach) to make a video version of the movie to convince studio execs to finance the project.The scene that makes the movie, the scene everyone remember is Romeo dressed as knight, falling in love through a fish tank with Juliet dressed as angel.
As such, the film is hip and sexy, and Old Bill's yarn has much to offer, but while Claire Danes' Juliet is the very picture of grace and innocence, Leonardo di Caprio - undoubtedly a fine young actor - seems out of place as Romeo, and he's upstaged in the good looks department by Paul Rudd as Paris.
There's a show-stopping dance number (part of a drug-induced hallucination) at the masked ball where the two lovers first meet, and the second half of the film is powered by a raw emotional intensity, but a truly radical revision of the play might have involved the scrapping of Shakespeare's text altogether and the substitution of 90s dialogue to match the visuals..
She didn't have enough feeling, especially in the balcony scene.If you want to see a REAL performance of "Romeo and Juliet," rent the 1968 version directed by Franco Zefferelli and narrated by Sir Laurence Olivier..
Horrendous version of the Shakespeare tragedy directed by horrendous hack Baz Luhrmann, up there with Joel Schumacher and Danny Boyle among my five least favorite directors of all time.This is "Romeo and Juliet" for the MTV generation, the movie equivalent of a shark, afraid that if it slows down for even a moment it will die.
Baz Luhrmann does not know how to direct and how to please audience.If you want to see a good Romeo and Juliet film, then you should see the one that was made in 1968-that one was really good.
The most popular love story in history, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, converted to modern day sets.
The director and writer of the movie decided to handle the conflicts between modern day sets and Shakespeare's original texts with the means of comedy.
If you want to see a good adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, see the 1968, Zeffirelli version.
If you want Grand Theft Auto:The Movie, this is the film for you.Admittedly, the cast is great and boasts superb performances from the young leads Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
If one wanted to see a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, watching West Side Story would be a much better bet.
Her style is flat, and she delivers the lines with as much talent as the average highschooler would in a school production.The director had what could have been a very powerful and entertaining movie, but undermines it with the casting of two singularly unsuited actors in the title roles for the sake of drawing more of the MTV teenage crowd to the box office.For a better rendition of Juliet, I suggest Olivia Hussey in the 1968 Zeffirelli version.
Changing the setting of Shakespeare's plays for film adaptations isn't a new thing.
My only complaint about the film is that the modernization of the story also makes Romeo and Juliet's drama and romance seem overly trite and self important in a way that I found annoying.
I like how they made the movie Romeo+Juliet that was a good movie.
Other stand-out performances I would like to mention are the strong characterization of Mercutio played by the best Harold Perrineau I have seen while in the part of Tybalt John Leguizamo excels himself either.The settings and direction of this movie are plain fantastic from my point of view.
Without the original lyrics used in this adaption I could imagine Romeo + Juliet to be an absolutely intoxicating flick but the dreamlike poetry propel it's atmosphere to another level.I like movies to tell me an interesting story in the first place and showcase it the way it feels right.
I'm not eager to watch him play Shakespeare on the stage.By contrast, Claire Danes is the perfect Juliet.
This is a neat modern adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic and tragic tale, Romeo and Juliet, where the feuding families of the Montagues and the Capulets are foretold in the Italian city of Verona.
The lives and affair of star-crossed lovers Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are complicated by their feuding families.Though set in modern times, this movie still follows Shakespeare's play somewhat to a T, helped by the actors' theatrical delivery of the original dialog, the intense drama and the enchanting story.
Director Baz Luhrmann did a great job putting together the movie, placing his own unique style into the play but retaining the original intent of the story.
Or if you're a Leo fan, you could always just re-watch James Cameron's adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, if you actually want to ENJOY a movie..
I just think that the style in Romeo + Juliet gave the notion that if it wasn't for the camera work, the people behind the film would belive that you would just get bored..
He obviously means to prove he's a serious actor, but that all goes out the window when you consider the fact that he's been in a movie where Mercutio dresses up like Marilyn Monroe.I won't waste any more time groaning over the terrible acting, because Luhrmann's woeful misplacement of Shakespeare's worst work ever in 1990s California is enough to bemoan this filth.
I'm watching "I love the 90s right now and they just talked about ROMEO + JULIET.
Who does Luhrmann think he is by adapting the brilliant Shakespeare play into a modern context? |
tt1267297 | Hercules | On a stormy night, the son of the god Zeus and human Alcmene (Karolina Szymczak) was born. His mother named him Hercules, which meant "glory of Hera", to appease the goddess herself. Hera saw the boy's birth as an insult and planned to have him killed. Two serpents emerge from the eyes of a Hera statue and slither their way to the child, but the young Hercules snaps their necks with his god-like strength.As an adult, Hercules (Dwayne Johnson) went through his famed Twelve Labors. He treads through a swamp to take on the Lernaean Hydra, slicing off their heads one by one. He faced the Erymanthian Boar, taking it down with his club. His most well-known labor was the slaying of the Nemean Lion, a beast whose hide was so powerful that no mere weapon could penetrate it.The person telling this story, Iolaus (Reece Ritchie), who is also Hercules' nephew, is tied up and hanging over a wooden pike right below his groin. He is taken prisoner by pirates that have invaded Macedonia. The pirate leader starts to burn the rope that holds Iolaus, not believing a word of his story. The leader fails to see Hercules standing behind him, wearing the skin of the Nemean Lion on his head and boasting that he killed the beast with his bare hands...or so they say. Hercules charges forward with his comrades - the seer Amphiaraus (Ian McShane), Autolycus (Rufus Sewell), Atalanta (Ingrid Bolso Berdal), and Tydeus (Aksel Hennie) - and takes out all the pirates and pushes Iolaus to safety before he falls onto the pike. Hercules finishes off the leader with one powerful swing of his club.Hercules and his allies go to a tavern to eat and drink. They are approached by a woman named Ergenia (Rebecca Ferguson), asking Hercules to help her father protect the kingdom of Thrace from a warlord. If he succeeds, he and his friends will be rewarded their weight in gold. Autolycus pushes a plate of food to Hercules and tells him to eat up.The crew travels to Thrace. Ergenia's son Arius (Isaac Andrews) runs up to Hercules, eager to meet this legendary warrior after hearing about his Twelve Labors. General Sitacles (Peter Mullan) escorts Hercules and his crew to meet Ergenia's father. Hercules is asked if he's ever been this close to royalty. He recalls three years earlier when he traveled to the kingdom of King Eurystheus (Joseph Fiennes), bringing him the heads of the Hydra. He is also reunited with his wife Megara (Irina Shayk) and his three children. Hercules then experiences a vision of his family screaming, and the walls covered in blood.Hercules is brought before Lord Cotys (John Hurt), Ergenia's father. He requests Hercules' help in fighting off an army led by the dreaded warlord Rhesus. He takes a look at Atalanta and says this mission holds no place for a woman, though she proves him wrong immediately by shooting two arrows at the helmets of two soldiers, throwing it out of their hands. It is said that his soldiers are centaurs that laid waste to Cotys's forces. Hercules agrees to train Cotys's soldiers in combat. It starts with the men holding their shields up for protection, but they are easily knocked down when Tydeus charges at them.At night, Arius wanders around when he hears a snarling noise. He looks in the darkness to see Tydeus, who lunges at him, but the boy runs away. He is found by Hercules, who tells Arius that he and his friends found Tydeus as a child in Thebes after a war overtook his home, and to this day, Tydeus does not speak a word. Hercules brings Arius back to his mother, who is in the hospice tending to the wounded and sickly. As a gift, Hercules gives Arius the tooth of the Nemean Lion, which excites the boy.Hercules leads the soldiers to the Bessi Heartland. Iolaus tries to join the soldiers, but Hercules refuses to let him fight. The area has already been ravaged, with countless bodies sprawled everywhere, including young children, and the heads of men mounted on spikes for display. The soldiers come across several "fresh" bodies, which turn out to be savages that set up a trap for them. The soldiers line up with their shields up, and Hercules breaks off the head of one of Atalanta's arrows. One of the savages charges toward Hercules, and he punches the savage so hard that he flies backwards, with the arrowhead lodged in his skull. The Thracians take on the savages, while Hercules and his crew fight back, leaving Iolaus and Cotys to be guarded. Atalanta wields her bladed bow while firing arrows without even having to look behind her. Tydeus charges like mad at the savages while Autolycus uses his weapons against them also. When it looks like the savages are overpowering them, Hercules and Amphiaraus ride a horse-drawn chariot with blades, killing every last savage in sight. The soldiers mourn their fallen, and Iolaus covers Hercules' wounds so that the others won't see him bleed like a mortal. Cotys calls out Rhesus, knowing he is behind this, unaware that the warlord is watching from afar.Ergenia tends to Hercules' wounds back in Thrace. When she asks him if he has had a family before, he dodges the subject and sends her away. That night, he hears screaming. He wanders out and sees dead bodies everywhere, including those of his wife and children. Hercules is then faced with the three-headed dog of Hades, Cerberus. It is only a vision, however, as Tydeus comes by to snap Hercules out of it. This, as Amphiaraus states, has happened before.The next morning, Ergenia finds Hercules' friends and asks Iolaus to tell her the truth about what happened to Hercules' family. Iolaus begins to say that it happened with Hera driving him mad, but Ergenia dismisses that as myth. Regardless, Autolycus tells Ergenia that they all have reason to trust Hercules.Hercules leads the soldiers to Mount Asticus, where they see what appear to be centaurs in the distance. They run toward the Thracians, but they turn out to be simply men riding horses. Rhesus (Tobias Santelmann) makes his presence known to the soldiers, though Hercules is not the least bit intimidated by him. The Thracians take on Rhesus's men, proving more powerful than before. The opposing army fires flaming arrows at the Thracians. Amphiaraus, thinking his time is coming, stands in there, welcoming death, but not a single arrow hits him. Rhesus charges toward Hercules on his horse, but Hercules grabs the horse and flips him and Rhesus over before sneering, "Fucking centaurs."Rhesus and his men are taken back to Thrace where they are mocked and have garbage thrown at them. A feast is held, with Rhesus being chained up as a prisoner. Ergenia feels pity for him, and she tries to bring him water, but Cotys won't let her. Hercules gets Ergenia alone after seeing her look at Rhesus, and it is learned that it was Cotys that orchestrated the whole war to gain power and control over the kingdom, with Rhesus merely having gotten himself involved. Ergenia only wants Arius to be safe, since he will ascend to the throne after Cotys dies. She asks Hercules to take the boy with him, but he says no. He goes to confront Cotys, who shows no remorse over his actions and offers Hercules a place in his army. Hercules, of course, refuses.The crew is given their gold, but Hercules wants to stay and help Thrace. Autolycus chooses to leave, taking his share of the gold with him, despite the others pleading with him to stay. Atalanta, Amphiaraus, and Tydeus agree to help Hercules fight Cotys. However, when they all go to face him, they are captured, along with Ergenia and Arius.Hercules is chained up in the dungeon while his friends are locked in cells. He sees what appears to be Cerberus, but they are merely three vicious wolves. In enters King Eurystheus, who turns out to be in league with Cotys. It is also revealed that he drugged Hercules the night his family was murdered, sending the wolves to attack and kill them, because Eurystheus saw Hercules as a threat to his kingdom when his people cheered his name louder than Eurystheus. To make things worse, Cotys orders Ergenia to be executed right there in the dungeon. Amphiaraus tells Hercules to remember all that he has accomplished, and to remember who he is. He cries, "Who are you?!" And the man bellows, "I AMMMMM HERCULEEEES!" He breaks off the chains and swings at the executioner, stopping him from taking off Ergenia's head. She runs to free the others while the wolves attack Hercules. Hercules slams one against the wall, then breaks the jaw of another, and then finally kills the last one with the Nemean Lion's tooth (Arius passed it back to him while being captured).With everyone, including Rhesus, freed, the Thracian soldiers try to attack. One hurls a spear that passes through fire at Amphiaraus, which he foresaw as his death. He stands there, ready to accept his fate, when Hercules grabs the spear and throws it back at the soldier. Hercules then goes after Eurystheus, who tries to weasel his way out of it by saying Cotys corrupted him. He begs for forgiveness, but Hercules grabs Eurystheus's dagger and impales him with it. Sitacles then appears and grabs Hercules with his whip, but Iolaus impales him from behind, now ready to join the fight.The final battle comes outside the palace, where Cotys stands before his soldiers. They bring out Arius, threatening to kill him if Hercules doesn't surrender. A soldier holds a knife at the boy's neck, but the man is killed by a knife, thrown by Autolycus, who has decided to return for his friends. The Thracians fight Hercules and his crew, while Arius runs back to his mother. Tydeus is struck by an arrow, but he doesn't let that stop him as he slays every soldier in his path. Hercules retrieves him, where Tydeus merely utters Hercules' name before dying. The crew spills oil and fire to block the Thracians, and Hercules begins to push the statue of Hera from its base. Cotys begins shouting at Hercules, calling him a coward and saying his family deserved to die. Hercules finally manages to break the statue from its base, causing it to come crashing down, crushing some soldiers while the head rolls and smashes into Cotys, throwing him over the edge of a cliff.The surviving soldiers lay down their weapons and bow before Hercules, chanting his name. The rest of his crew stands behind him. Amphiaraus delivers the closing lines by saying that he prefers this tale of Hercules to the myth. He says that you don't need to be a demigod to be a hero, but you just have to believe you can be a hero. He adds, "But what do I know? I'm supposed to be dead." | comedy, murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, action, revenge, storytelling | train | imdb | The acting was - in general - excellent, with only one or two instances where I thought it was a bit too cheesy or overdone.Dwayne Johnson was fantastic; having seen him in several films I was expecting a less solemn, more caricatured, performance.
But he was excellent, and I have gained a little more respect for him as a serious actor (though I wouldn't cast him outside head-bashing quite yet).Overall an underrated movie in my opinion, and definitely worth a watch if you like a good story..
Hercules and chums are mercenaries, pressed into service for Lord Cotys to put down a rebel uprising which looks likely to overthrow the throne.The trailer teases this movie as being a myths and monsters movie: it isn't.
What is left is a rather dark film with a lot of battle action, pitched uneasily at a level which is too graphic for family viewing and not graphic enough for those who like blood and dismemberment.There is a single F word - unnecessary and out of place.Dwayne Johnson does this stuff well - he looks good, has great physical presence and, even when the part is somewhat darker than usual, he remains very likable.
The supporting cast are all quite good - it was interesting to see Rufus Sewell playing a goodie for once (kind of like a young Ian McShane even though McShane was also in the film, with all the best moments of humour), and John Hurt gets to play both ends of the spectrum, meek and scenery-chewing.I quite liked this - it is certainly a lot better than this year's previous Hercules offering - but felt that it was a missed opportunity: they promised me monsters and then didn't deliver them!.
The film has a bevy of great actors including John Hurt, Ian McShane and Rufus Sewell and I think Dwayne Johnson is perfect for the main role..
Somehow watching the Rock talk doesn't interest you, but when the fighting starts with the epic 200 people battle sequences, you suddenly see where the budget went, the fights are fantastic!What is really great is how Hercules and his band of merry men (and woman) use smarts to outwit the enemy rather than simply use strength each time.
The 3D has its moments, but like most films I would rather have watched it in 2D as I don't think it made a major difference and its more comfortable not having to wear those glasses with my head upright the entire time..
Look, I know going into a Brett Ratner film starring The Rock as Hercules shouldn't have expectations high, but I expected more from this.
It has cool action, bigger than life Dwayne Johnson as Hercules and good supporting stuff.
This flick is miles better than bad movie that came out also this year "The Legend of Hercules", skip this one and watch "Hercules" instead - it's not the best summer movie of this year, but it's worth spending 90 min.
on evening with some friends and beer.Overall, "Hercules" isn't great art, it's not even very memorable popcorn flick, but it does it job well for while it last, it entertains you - not in the most sophisticated way to the least, but it's a fun movie..
I honestly found myself laughing out loud much more than I found myself getting drilled with constant WWE style fighting like there was in "The legend of hercules", mind you this is a very good thing.
(58%) A movie that could have quite easily dipped into crap territory is saved by well directed and plentiful action, good production values, Mr Johnson being a perfect leading man, John hurt calling Hercules a "filthy bastard" and "Atalanta" (bow-girl) looking uncannily like Nicole Kidman from the early 90's.
Looks like they spent half of the budget of the film on a few seconds of CGI and then the movie continues with some low budget skirmishes and people talking.You could sum this movie up as Trailer + an episode of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" TV series with the Rock instead of Kevin Sorbo.People were walking out of the mostly empty theater and so did we..
No useless splash of blood every two sec to pretend to be adult.The story is about what make a man into a legend, but even with that in mind, the movie keep having fun at giving us hint that he is a demigod, then taking that back right after, making him a simple human being with a self confidence issue.
That's what most people were let down by,its more close the mythology but this flick is based on a comic book (I never read the comics but I know this because it was on Wikipedia,its called Hercules : The Thracian wars by Radical) The story was well paced and good, maybe goofy at sometimes but it was well put and solid.My only problems with this movie were the short run time (1hr,38 minutes) and the 3D.
The runtime could have been extended so we could have more things explained in a better time frame but it had to be 98 minutes long which I thought was disappointing because I wanted to see more of the movie but I never did.
Or at least I thought so until I watched 'Hercules.' It's absolutely everything you've seen a thousand times before, therefore it's a mystery as to why I enjoyed it as much as I did.From what I hear it's hardly based on fact (and when I say 'fact' I mean the Greek legend of Zeus and Mount Olympus etc).
However, I can tell you that – if you're in the right frame of mind – it is quite good fun.Dwayne 'The sometimes Rock' Johnson plays our titular character and he plays him with as much charm as you'd expect from our muscle-bound leading man.
Don't waste your money if you want watch mythical, Semi-god stuff...but it is good movie with mind set on human who is portrayed as a legend....what it means to be hero and stuff...
Though a trained viewer can still pick out the CGI, these scenes are nevertheless exciting and thrilling, combining good old-fashioned formation tactics with Ben Hur-like chariot chases and some Lord-of-the-Rings type one-versus-many pounding.Those looking for some 'Game of Thrones' intrigue need not apply; indeed, the narrative here is as straightforward as it gets, no matter the minor twist two-thirds into the film that has Hercules struggling to make a moral choice when he realises that he and his crew may have been manipulated by Lord Cotys himself.
And you can also feel a bit of the atmosphere from the movie "Gladiator" in this mythical spectacle.But unlike "The legend of Hercules" you can see some old timers at work here.
I liked Hercules because The Rock knows how to give the audience what they want in these types of films.
The demi-god who received the Hollywood treatment and a bad one at that.Hercules is one of the better known mythic figures and it is only fair and right that when you can get a decent cast and budget approved we are to be expecting a great film.
Let's face it, the fact (well, according to mythology) alone that he completed the 12 labours as well as participated in the retrieval of the golden fleece with the Argonauts would suffice to provide material for a mighty adventure movie, or couple of them.Instead, the makers of this movie brushed off the 12 labours and made Hercules a mercenary in the paid service of a corrupt king, not to mention made him appear uncertain to the point of insecurity the same person who in the ancient world embodied extraordinary strength and masculinity.I would not go so far as to call it a bad film, just hardly mediocre.
And you can rest assured that these supporting killers will have no further character development than: Geeky sidekick; cool but crude best friend; female Legolas; the crazy one and the old dude who is a bit more profound than the rest.After the opening boss fight, the Rock and his answer to the expendables are interrupted during a drinking session by the daughter of Cotys of Thrace, played by John Hurt, who want to hire him and his merry men to save his city from a ruthless warlord.The most interesting thing this film tries to do is to play down the myth of Hercules, in which the central characters acknowledge that he is just that - a myth.
Words can't even describe how bad this movie was as well as Mr. Johnson's "acting." His idea of getting into character consisted of flexing his muscles and smirking like...
Without giving away too much (because you definitely should see this movie!) Day be Johnson plays the daring, super strong hero of Greek mythology told in fables across time depicting ultimate masculinity.
Dwayne Johnson delivers an impressive performance as Hercules, half-god/half human, who has to prove to the world that he is for real, and not just a hyped up legend.
Dwayne Johnson is charismatic, and brings a very human element to the legend, and this is something I really liked about the film.
Don't get me wrong this film has it's fun moments, almost all of which come from Dwayne The Rock Johnson's one liners.
I just don't think it was enough to overcome the films major weaknesses.+The Rock's charisma +Biggest and baddest Herucles yet +Looks great-Takes away the best part of Hercules -By the numbers -Predictable, nothing stands out 5.9/10.
A matinée must at least have charm like Flynn's Movies mentioned above or the Pirates of the Caribbean installments.Another thing that is missing, which I Think is vital to this type of film, is the fantasy/legend elements.
I like Clash of the Titans, and yes, it does not have a lot of blood, but it has charm, better actors and generally higher production values instead.It lacks plot - the story is very thin and has no Eye brow-rising surprises.However, the scenery is good as well as the armor and weapons.If you favor matinées and do not crave blood, and like the following Movies: the Legend of Hercules; Pompeii; Clash of the Titans (1 & 2); as well as the Hercules TV series and Xena Warrior Princess, this Movie is for you.
Before I watched the movie I expected the usual mythological face of Hercules.
Being Greek, I've grown up with these myths and watching movies about them can be both fun and frustrating.This movie took a different road by not giving Hercules god-like powers and making his legend a more reality based one.
BC how accurate can a movie really be?) but it was a very good melding of myth and reality.What surprised me the most was how much Dwayne Johnson fit the role of Hercules.
He had the slightly ironic, slightly tragic and very barbaric face I always gave Hercules in my mind.All in all, this may not have been a masterpiece but it was a fun way to spend the night and I will probably watch the movie again in the future when I want something entertaining and comparatively light..
It attempts to humanize Hercules, presenting the man behind the legend, which is quite admirable compared to other grandiose renditions that share the same title or action movies in general that depict superhuman characters.
First i want to say that this movie has nothing to do with the history or myths ( you just have to ignore the words "Hercules", "Thrace" and other familiar like this ).
I did not like the acting of Ingrid Bolsø, but other than this and completely imaginary history, everything was good.With beautiful scenery, good sound and cinematographic, this movie is great fast-sword action movie with full of 3d effects to enjoy 2 hours in the cinema..
But here, when the imagery is used it depicts not actual events, but how the legend has been passed down by mere mortal men.Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is as much Hercules as any actor who has portrayed the DemiGod, Kevin Sorbo notwithstanding.
But I generally like the ones that have something interesting about them to recommend: great action, snappy one-liners, colorful characters, good special effects, some sense of style.
Dwayne Johnson may be The Rock and have personality to spare, but movies like this do him no favors.
This movie is another depiction of the life of Hercules the Greek legend!Although you may think, after the first minutes, that you are seeing another fantasy feature film with ...gods, monsters and other supernatural elements, this movie tries to be as close to the real world as it can possibly be!
This film is based on the graphic novel "Hercules: The Thracian Wars".as Hercules Dwayne Johnson is best till now than other Hercules.movie run time is 98 mins and it is not at all boring.
movie has only three fight sequences and they both are very impressive especially 1st and the last.Ian McShane,Rufus Sewell,Aksel Hennie,Ingrid Bolsø Berdal;they are the kind of family with Dwayne Johnson.they all have done very good job.movie starts with the Dwayne Johnson(Hercules)'s adventures and the things he do to get free from Rebecca Ferguson(Ergenia)'s Cursed.John Hurt (Lord Cotys) sent his daughter to Hercules to call him to rescue his kingdom and his people from Tobias Santelmann(Rhesus).but after great war Hercules found that the original culprit was Lord Cotys.now he oppose him to save Lord Cotys's daughter and her son.later Hercules also found that Joseph Fiennes(King Eurystheus) for whom he worked,was the original guy to kill Hercules's children and wife.now how will he take revenge is all in the climax.the fight sequences were pictured so nicely especially pre climax scenes.the power pack scene was that when Dwayne Johnson shouted that "I'M HERCULES" and attacks on wolfs.overall,go for this Hercules;it won't bore you or disappoint you.recommended!.
A fairly entertaining movie but Hercules as most people know the story it is not.
Renny Harlin's "The Legend of Hercules" - though not entirely accurate itself - released earlier this year was a much better and way more entertaining film compared to this Brett Ratner version.Pity Dwayne, The Rock, Johnson starred in the wrong version of Hercules' tale.
The Rock does a great job flexing *and* acting as Hercules, and the supporting cast, including John Hurt help bring the action.
Movie Review: "Hercules" (2014)The legend of the most-promoted Greek mythology character adapted with help of a graphic novel from Radical comics; An ensemble cast unmotivated to start with title-role inhabiting actor Dwayne Johnson, who had been the choice of a life-time to character-fine-artists actor Ian McShane, completely lost in costume and splendor of mediocre, uninviting production design; A hundred million U.S. Dollar budget follows Producer/Director Brett Ratner into horrible conceived visuals, which are so static and wooden-act outs that even first looks hurts the eye as the brains, if even the distributing Studios Paramount Pictures & Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had have the guts to bring the picture to an R-rated state of blood and gore spilling, matching the club-swinging Hercules, then the spectre might have said it goes all along entertaining for genre fans of historical action.
I really like Dwayne Johnson and a few of his movies--Walking Tall, Snitch, The Rundown--but the excellent supporting cast (e.g, Rufus Sewell, John Hurt, Joseph Fiennes) did not make up for his acting in Hercules.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson plays Hercules in this movie and unlike a lot of other films, this version is more of a man than demi-god with the legend of his exploits far exceeding his reality.
The tales about him are told in every town, how he defeated the Hydra, the Very Big Lion, hell-hounds and whatever, and this is probably a realistic view on how such a myth was created in ancient times when stories were not filmed, only passed on by word of mouth, growing bigger and bigger as they were told and told again.However, the movie makes one crucial mistake that causes a lot of bad reviews: it shows spectacular fights against CGI creatures to introduce the hero, and all the rest of the running time is a military campaign, the battles for the throne of Thracia.
Dwayne Johnson is perfect for the role of Hercules, and there is a great cast to support him including John Hurt, Rufus Sewell and Joseph Fiennes.
I give it a 2 out of respect for some of the main actors who were still performing their duties, despite the utter crap they were shooting during the making of the film.Indeed, there are no true hero scenes in the movie, like Hercules dealing with monsters and performing legendary deeds of any kind, in fact there was only a clumsy story of Dwayne Johnson being a mercenary in classical Greece.
And this makes me feel bad about Dwayne Johnson, even though he is animatedly supporting the movie, because I really love him as a screen presence and see in him some good acting chops combined with a waterfall of charisma, but this is not the work I would like to see him do.
What we are left with is a movie about mercenaries set in ancient times, and it's hard to fault the audiences for expecting something more epic because myth of Hercules has so many great scenes that Hollywood is so good at depicting.
last thing I would to say is Dwayne Johnson "the rock" who is the best wrestler comes in the world of movies ^_^ ..
It's big and dumb, sure, and often in a hugely amusing way - but, at other times, it's actually impossible to ignore the film's frankly terrible plotting.The first inkling that this is not the Hercules you know comes in the form of Dwayne Johnson.
Now Dwayne The Rock Johnson plays Hercules in this film and I thought he was great in this film.
The action scenes were styled really well and looked good, however, the cgi is bad at times and does take you out of the film. |
tt1229238 | Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol | IMF agent Trevor Hanaway is killed in Budapest by assassin Sabine Moreau, taking Russian code he had stolen from an individual known only as "Cobalt".
Meanwhile, IMF agent Ethan Hunt has purposely become incarcerated into a Moscow prison to acquire Bogdan, a source of information on Cobalt. With help of Jane Carter, Hanaway's handler, and newly promoted field agent Benjamin Dunn, Hunt and Bogdan make their escape. IMF tasks Hunt to infiltrate the Kremlin to gain more information on Cobalt. During the mission, an unknown entity broadcasts on the IMF frequency ordering the detonation of a bomb. Hunt's team aborts the mission just as a bomb destroys much of the Kremlin. Carter and Dunn escape, but Hunt is captured by SVR agent Anatoly Sidorov and charged with the destruction of the Kremlin.
Hunt is able to escape and regroups with the IMF Secretary who is in Moscow on other business. The Secretary tells Hunt they have had to initiate "Ghost Protocol", disavowing IMF, but secretly orders Hunt to continue to pursue Cobalt. Sidorov's forces catch up to Hunt, and the Secretary is killed; Hunt escapes along with the Secretary's aide and intelligence analyst William Brandt. Regrouping with Carter and Dunn, Brandt is able to identify Cobalt as Kurt Hendricks, a Swedish-born Russian nuclear strategist, who seeks to start a nuclear war between the U.S. and Russia. Hendricks used the Kremlin bombing to cover up his theft of Russian nuclear launch-control device, and now is planning a trade with Moreau at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai to gain the required launch codes.
The team travel to Dubai and create deceptions using their various gadgetry and disguises to make Moreau believe she is meeting with Hendricks, and vice versa, when in fact they are interacting with the IMF team. Moreau discovers the deception, and in the ensuing chaos, Hendricks manages to escape with the launch codes, losing Hunt's pursuit in the midst of a dust storm. Carter knocks Moreau out of a window when she tries to escape. Brandt accuses her of letting her love for Hanaway compromise the mission, but Hunt recognizes that Brandt has also been keeping secrets from them, having shown combat skills atypical of a mere analyst. Hunt leaves to meet with Bogdan to get more information on Hendricks, while Brandt tells the others that he had been assigned to protect Ethan and his wife Julia in Croatia. Julia had been killed by a hit squad and Brandt feels responsible for Ethan's loss, which is why he stopped being a field agent.
Bogdan directs Ethan towards Mumbai, where Hendricks is set to negotiate with Indian telecommunications entrepreneur Brij Nath to gain control of an obsolete Soviet military satellite. The IMF team splits up to stop Hendricks; Carter seduces Nath to get the satellite override code, while Hunt, Brandt and Dunn try to stop Hendricks from using Nath's broadcast station. They are too late as Hendricks has sent the launch codes to a Russian Delta III-class nuclear submarine to fire a single missile at San Francisco and disabled the station's computer systems. Brandt and Dunn race to get the systems back online to send the override code, while Hunt pursues Hendricks, eventually fighting him face to face in an automated car park. Hendricks, with the launch device, jumps to his death moments before the missile is to land. Hunt takes a dangerous fall to use the device to disable the missile before it strikes. Sidorov, who has followed IMF from Dubai to Mumbai, arrives and realizes that the IMF is innocent of the Kremlin bombing.
The team meets in Seattle after Ethan accepts a new mission from Luther Stickell. Brandt confesses to Ethan about his failure to protect Julia. Ethan, however, reveals that her "death" and the murder of the Serbians were part of a plot to give her a new identity and enable Ethan to infiltrate the prison. A relieved Brandt accepts his mission. Ethan and Julia gaze at each other from afar before Ethan departs for his next mission. | suspenseful, mystery, murder, dramatic, flashback, action, romantic, revenge | train | wikipedia | In fact, this might even be the best of the Mission Impossible films.It has a good mixture of interesting action scenes, suspense, drama, humor, great scenery of Venice, Italy, and fine acting.
"Mission Accomplished"...Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is the forth film in the franchise (though first not to acknowledge its place in the title) and sees Tom Cruise reprising the leading role of the globe-trotting super spy Ethan Hunt.
Throughout the series Hunt has evolved from team player to lone wolf and now in Ghost Protocol he must become a true leader of a team that, for the first time, he didn't choose.The film blasts off into overdrive from the minute the gates open and rarely lets up, it's one hell of a ride and there's enough action and gadgets here to please any fan of the spy film genre.
Sure he's still a super spy and can do things most mortal men would never try in a million years but the added vulnerability and consequences of those actions gone wrong lifts the film to a new level and is one of the reasons it kept me on board all the way to the end.If there is anything about this film that let me down a little it was the absence of a true 'super villain' like we had in MI3.
It's not that Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) didn't deliver a good performance in the few scenes where he interacts with Cruise, it's just that there are so few of these moments that he is, in many ways, almost like another one of his own henchmen and I mistook him for other characters on a few occasions.Personally I felt a greater presence and sense of danger from the female assassin, Sabine Moreau (Lea Seydoux – Robin Hood), a beautiful yet malicious woman with a cold heartless gaze, completely devoid of compassion.
In my opinion she'd have made a much better leading villain, especially as her actions do personally effect one of the team, but despite this little hiccup there is certainly more than enough obstacles to keep Hunt and his team busy and the audience well and truly entertained so this is really just nit-picking on my part.After the relative disappointment of the second Mission: Impossible film, first time feature director J.J. Abrams (of TV's ALIAS and Lost fame) injected some much needed heart and soul into the third installment, expertly balancing a romantic subplot with the high-octane action sequences all fans demand of such a film.
Although Brad Bird is not a first time feature helmer this is his first foray into the world of live action so he might not seem to be the most obvious choice but there was never any doubt from either Abrams or Cruise about his talent and potential to deliver a great film.
Like Abrams, Bird has also had great success on the small screen as an executive consultant on the Simpsons and I've been a fan of his work since chancing upon Family Dog (from Spielberg's 'Amazing Stories' series) in the early 90's.Simon Pegg (Paul) reprises his role as Benji Dunn from MI3, the computer whiz behind all the action.
Pegg's natural comedic timing and likable charm adds a much-needed element of lightheartedness to the franchise that could have easily backfired had this role been miscast.Rounding out the new team are IMF agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton – Deja Vu) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner –The Hurt Locker), and both actors deliver solid performances.
Carter is as sexy as she is deadly and Patton slips between these two persona's with ease while Brandt hides a secret past allowing Renner to show a vulnerability we're not used to seeing in the roles he normally plays.Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol delivers exactly the type of entertainment action fans crave and as a result it is perfect popcorn movie.
The cast is the best of the series: Jeremy Renner is a good addition, Lea Seydoux is a pretty cool villain and the female lead whose name escapes me is somebody I wish I would have seen in another movie?
Before the movie started, there was an introduction by Director Brad Bird, and by actor Simon Pegg where they shared how much they enjoyed making the film and shooting scenes in the IMAX format.I won't get into the story too much as I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but the basic plot is that the Kremlin in Russia is bombed by a terrorist group and IMF is framed for it.
Oh and the portrayal of Mumbai has been quite unique indeed.I won't spill the beans on the story but I am sure you know the gist of it from the trailers, a certain KABOOM'ing of the Kremlin puts Ethan Hunt in a tough spot and he is being chased down by Russians for something he hasn't done, so he needs to set it right and the only way he can do that is by starring in this awesome movie.All in all Ghost Protocol is hands down the best one yet from the Mission Impossible series mainly because it is different from its predecessors (thank GOD for that).
Tom Cruise's rejuvenated self is pretty much apparent in the latest installment of the MI franchise, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.Ghost Protocol takes the viewer on a roller coaster of a ride from Moscow to Dubai, all the way to Mumbai, never allowing a breathing space, keeping him on the edge of the seat throughout.
Ethan and his team, which includes the computer geek Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), agents Jane Carter (Paula Patton) and William Brandt (Jeremy Renner), despite their severe handicap are the only hope left at preventing the diabolical duo of Hendricks and his stalwart Wistrom from fulfilling their demonic mission of global destruction through a nuclear war.
Due to this, the IMF is shut down and "Operation Ghost Protocol" is launched with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), Jane Carter (Paula Patton), Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), and William Brandt(Jeremy Renner), a group of 4 people being what is left of the IMF.
Final Verdict: With fast-paced directing by Brad Bird and exciting action sequences, yet with funny moments, this movie is a thrilling ride worth to experience.
Clearly JJ Abram's mission impossible, should he choose to accept it, is to lead a talented team to resurrect a declining franchise and re-ignite it with renewed vigour and a very high dosage of fun and entertainment.I'm glad to say, mission highly accomplished.Brad Bird's first time direction of real actors (must have been a shock when they talked back at him) exhibits the same zestful energy and fun that we got from his animated films such as The Incredibles.
Overall, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL offers lighter adventure - perhaps on a bigger scale than any of the previous films - and also features a stellar ensemble cast, and some of the best popcorn entertainment in a while.
Its also like M:I-2 in that it features an unrelenting amount of action/stunt work......and Tom Cruise with long hair again...It even echoes the TV Series, because it has some of the same musical cues, and really makes the mission a TEAM EFFORT.
The Best Film of the Franchise So Far. I've been watching all of the Tom Cruise "Mission Impossible" movies in preparation for "Rogue Nation", and I must say that "Ghost Protocol" is the best film of the franchise so far (having not seen "Rogue Nation" yet).I'll admit that I am a fan of these movies and always have been.
It also restores Tom Cruise's marquee value as an action star, and we dare attest that any naysayer to Cruise's ability to resurrect the franchise he almost drowned will be silenced once they see what he does on screen.Indeed, the last 'Mission: Impossible" from 'Alias' and 'Lost' creator J.J. Abrams was then easily the best of the series- though all that positive word about it couldn't quite triumph the bad press surrounding its star and producer Cruise's erratic behaviour.
Nothing else quite comes close to the sheer dizzying excitement of this sequence- not even the intensely gripping race- against-time climax with a good-old fistfight between Hunt and Hendricks in an automated parking garage.Yes, Cruise isn't one to rest on his laurels, and at the age of 49, the extent to which he commits to perform the stunts in this movie by himself is simply amazing.
John Woo failed as the director of M.I.2.M.I.3 was better mainly because of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman who made a great villain, but still...This one is by far the best (breaking the curse of sequels) and it's more than obvious that first timer director (with actors at least) Brad Bird had only one purpose in his mind: To please the audience.Tom Cruise is GREAT.
Interest was certainly high when it was announced that the animation director would be making his live- action directing debut, choosing to tackle the third sequel in the Mission: Impossible film series.
While certainly an immensely talented director (best known for The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, two films which would rank highly on any respectable list of greatest animated movies of all time), the ability to transfer his skills to live-action on the scale of M:I – GP with such flair sets him apart as a filmmaker with immeasurable gifts, and one of the most interesting directors working today.So what is it about M:I – GP that works so well?
A MI movie starring Cruise co-produced by Abrams and directed by (OMG!) Brad Bird should be a no-brainer.Literally.It should be one of the best films of all time and we the viewing public should be grateful it was made in the first place.But this reviewer begs to differ.
I Have No Words, But I'll Try. I really don't know where to start with my criticisms of this godawful movie.Let me start by saying that I want to suspend my disbelief when I watch something, try as I might I failed with this one.I think the main problem might be that I'm not 13 any more.It seemed to me like a big budget live action version of Gerry Anderson's "Stingray", minus the submarine but with all the crude racial stereotypes.
there's also the cold and calculating Swede (who appears to have a German name).The cast have zero on-screen chemistry, the set action pieces are nothing new, the plot is ridiculous, the script is retarded, the score is predictable, the editing is lazy and even the product placement fails.Simon Pegg is good though, essentially adding the same lightness to the movie that he did in Star Trek.Tom Cruise, even though he was at the center of most of the action seemed almost invisible.
However the fourth movie, Ghost Protocol was extremely well done.The action scenes were really well done, especially the scene where Tom Cruise was scaling the building, damn to I wish I saw that in Imax.
i am a big fan of tom Cruise but i just could not like this movie i cant help keep comparing this one to the first part of Mission Impossible which was amazing i think i love the music and everything about it i hated the 2nd part and loved the third one but this one is the worst it think.there is absolutely nothing new or original about thins one, i think the writers are pretty much broke here and couldn't offer anything clever and when you compare this part to the first one you cant help seeing that the first one was brilliant and very smart and this one is dull and stupid...also being from the middle east and having lived in the great city of Dubai i also did not like the way it was presented here...
While Anil Kapoor left no stone unturned to make a fool of himself in the short 5 minutes of his role, Tom Cruise left none in making this movie a masterpiece.The action begins right from the first scene and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
We both thought this was the best out off all off them by far, as well as being a great film in its own right."Mission impossible - Ghost protocol" didn't feel as over the top as the previous entries, and was relying on more old fashioned thrills.
Under Director Brad Bird's lead Cruise displays distinct gravitas and an unexpected sense of humor as intrepid Agent Ethan Hunt in "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol".
Sure, its plot is straightforward (only one man can stop the end of the world!), but the stunts and the spectacular cinematography complement the story, rather than point to its threadbare nature.In Mission:Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is imprisoned in Serbia.
This is the third of four Mission: Impossible films starring Tom Cruise that I managed to watch (I only missed the second one directed by John Woo).
This MI production is well executed in every regard - A top cast of talented actors, direction and editing that earn a B+, and a plot and list of film locations that are as interesting as the best Bond films.The only thing preventing a 9 rating are a handful of scenes that could have been cut down for the sake of keeping the overall snappy pace intact...10 minutes shorter and this film would rate a 9 (A-).Great fun and edge of seat moments are spread throughout - if in need of a MI, Bond, or Jason Bourne fix, I highly recommend MI Ghost Protocol and a bowl of popcorn..
I just have to say that I really like Renner now and I look forward to seeing him in this type of role (but not taking over this franchise as was originally intended.) Simon Pegg as the computer and tech go-to guy gets the most of the best lines in the movie and is just absolutely brilliant.
These elements serve to put the audience into the heart of the action and give the impression that Bird cared about creating a great film not just a passable popcorn flick.The supporting cast around Cruise rounds into form nicely, coming together to make up Hunt's best team yet.
And, most interestingly, it is one of the better entries in the series, featuring some strong action set pieces that keep the audience on the edge of their seat at several key points in the proceedings.Ghost Protocol finds Ethan Hunt (Cruise) in prison in Russia at the opening under mysterious circumstances.
Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol features the live-action debut of animation director Brad Bird, who helmed Pixar's hit The Incredibles, and he does a good job of assembling strong, involving set pieces that keep the audience on the edge of its seat.
Paula Patton is attractive in the role of Jane, who the script gives some more personal drive in the search for Hendricks and his cronies, Pegg delivers some welcome comic relief in the role of Benji and Renner, who has been rumored to be groomed for future Mission: Impossible films if Cruise steps down, holds his own in the action sequences, as well as providing the audience with a semi-outsider to empathize with as the circumstances consistently get higher and higher for the characters past what he is used to dealing with in his role as an analyst thrown into the action.For the most part, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol delivers a strong, fast, popcorn munching action film that provides thrills without turning into an over-edited explosion fest that you often get from a film directed by Michael Bay. If this is what the Mission: Impossible franchise can deliver on its fourth outing, then it may have plenty of entries for years to come..
The story is very linear with almost no diversions, as it is supposed to be in a mission:impossible movie,the script is well-written, the acting is also well-done (can you believe Tom Cruise is 50 years old?), the action is amazing, especially the scene in Dubai, which I think is one of the best action/operation scenes in film history.
Plot: After a terrorist blows up the Kremlin and winds up with nuclear launch codes, framing the IMF, it's up to Ethan Hunt and his team to not only clear their names, but save the world from potential nuclear war.Worth watching?: I always liked the Mission: Impossible movies before.
Then again, Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt; he can do whatever he wants and not die or sustain serious injury.Overall though, this is a great installment to Mission Impossible series.
The Plot: it's a bit above average...bad guy gets hands on nuke codes and the IMF team (Tom Cruise, Paula Patton, Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner) has to stop the bad guy from destroying the world...but there are twists ans turns that keep you on the edge and overall gives you a thrilling ,exciting combined with good humor...a perfect winter break movie.The best part of the movie is the Burj Khalifa part...amazingly shot and hats off for tom cruise on his work...doing all those stunts sure takes some guts!
Ethan Hunt and his team travel to Dubai first and to Mumbai later trying to clear the name of IMF and avoid Hendricks from bombing USA and begin the war."Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" is an entertaining adventure with good doses of action, tension and humor.
In this installment of Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol Ethan Hunt is joined by fellow agents Jane Carte (Paula Patton) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg), who previously appeared in the third film, and analyst William Brandt (Jeremy Renner).
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is Brad Birds first live action movie and it almost but not quite lives up to his great animated ones.
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is the best in the MI series in as good as every way plot, character and action. |
tt2388805 | Verliefd op Ibiza | Ibiza! The ultimate party island. The white beaches, the finest clubs, the most famous DJ's and beautiful people.Kevin (Jan Kooijman) is a young footballer who recently made a multimillion deal by transferring to FC Barcelona. He hardly realizes what is happening to him. Too young, too rich, too beautiful. His girlfriend Elza (Kim Feenstra) knows how Kevin should spend his millions. She is eagerly anticipating her birthday where Kevin will ask her the most important question of all. Kevin's grandmother Karla (Willeke van Ammelrooy) observes it all from the sidelines with concern. Fortunately there is the down-to-earth event planner Lizzy (Sanne Vogel) who shows Kevin the meaning of true love.The recently divorced Jacky (Lone van Roosendaal) and her neighbor Irma (Simone Kleinsma) - both in their forties- arrive on the island. Jacky is up for it: lifted and botoxed she tells Irma that she cannot wait to score a hot young guy. She's alive! Irma is of a different opinion. She is looking forward to a quiet holiday on the beach with (the books of) Dr. Zhivago. Until someone more real gets her heart racing...Former rock star Lex (Rick Engelkes) invites his three daughters to Ibiza to celebrate his 55th birthday. Lex has never been a very present father to the three half-sisters Zara (Gigi Ravelli), Lizzy (Sanne Vogel) and Bibi (Marly van der Velden). When Zaras husband Pim (David Lucieer) is seduced by Bibi, Lex finally gets a chance to fulfill his fatherly role.The brothers Dylan (Jasper Gottlieb), Marco (Armin Cruz)and Boyd (Marius Gottlieb) dream of becoming a world class DJ-duo. They came to the island to give their music to the famous DJ Armin van Buuren. But how do you get to one of the biggest DJs of the world? Their best friend Lars (Jim Bakkum) tries to help them reach their goal. In the end Dylan and Boyd seem to be aided more by a good dose of good luck and an unexpected twist of faith.All lines converge in the hip club where Armin van Buuren performs as a DJ. Will Jacky find love with a young lover, or with her teenage sweetheart? Will Kevin choose for a life with the beautiful gold-digger Elza? And will Zara's marriage survive the escapades of husband Pim?Loving Ibiza is a film filled with sunshine, humor, adventure and human insights. | romantic | train | imdb | As predictable as they come.
No pun intended with that summary line by the way.
And while it is very predictable (I defy anyone watching this, not foreseeing where it will end after 10 minutes or less), it is still fun to watch.
Which is something that can be attached to the actors and the writer of the movie.
They are not trying to be too nice or too PC and that is what elevates the movie.You're in Ibiza, of course there will be naked people and other stuff some people won't like to see.
Beautiful people all around and a Dutch take on a holiday romantic comedy.
It does what it says on the box, so it's up to you to decide, whether this is for you or not.
So much fun!.
I had so much fun watching this movie.
Quite a few characters at first, but they are all played by well known actors so you get familiar with them quickly.
Whether in their teens, twenties, thirties or fifties, all characters are trying to fight their age on party island Ibiza.
Visually thrilling, but it's the comedy scenes that I liked best.
Lex is hilarious as the old rock star that approves of his daughter having sex with her sister's husband.
Irma (in her fifties) comes to the island to read books on the beach but meets good looking Jim Bakkum (in his twenties).
She never intended to be a Cougar but their romance unfolds in a loving way.
Sanne Vogel is adoring as a party-planner that falls in love with a rich soccer player whose friends enjoy spraying expensive bottles of champagne over the party crowd in clubs.
"Verliefd op Ibiza" kept me excited every minute..
A beautiful romantic Dutch comedy.
On a beautiful island with beautiful and handsome people develops all kind of story lines.
The movie is in the tradition of the Dutch films Costa!
and Volle Maan, also directed by the same Johan Nijenhuis.
The male and female actors are great.
It's nice to see some of the players from the Dutch television series Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden in a different manner.
I find great chemistry between Simone Kleinsma and Jim Bakkum.
The buttocks of Jan Kooijman, everybody in The Netherlands was so excited about, is nicely photographed, good camera-work.
It's a nice movie, with a laugh and a tear.
And stay when the closing credits appear.
There's a nice last shot with Kim Feenstra in it..
Amazing and interesting film.
As a guy who loves to listen to the Dutch Language, I was looking forward to watching this film.
And I loved it seriously.
Maybe the subtitles were not good so I couldn't understand what they were speaking, but anyway in the end I got the total point of the film.Loved how they put Armin Van Buuren in the film, there should be more films with DJs. Although I didn't think they would represent Ushuaia Hotel rooms in such bad condition with cockroaches and dirty bathtubs and stuff....
I always thought that's like the best Hotel Beach Club on the island.
Amazing beaches, wonderful horizons, would like to visit Ibiza myself sometime.Amazing romantic story, just loved it..
Awful, awful, awful!.
This may have been one of the worst movies I have seen so far.
The characters are probably the worst: unbelievable, over the top, annoying.
The storyline is thin, predictable..
very flawed.
The two brothers who accidentally meet a world famous DJ, the young man who falls in love with an insecure middle-aged woman, the young girl sleeping with her sister's husband, the retired rock-star, etc.
Overall, very cheesy.
The acting is almost as bad.
Especially Jan Kooijman, who has proved not to be an actor.
It is quite surprising this movie was such a great success in the Dutch cinemas, although it was rightfully heavily criticized by the critics.
The two stars are given for the shots made of Ibiza itself.
Don't waste your time on this! |
tt0945513 | Source Code | A man (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up on a train sitting across from a woman named Christina Warren (Michelle Monaghan). The woman knows him by the name Sean Fentress, but he doesn't seem to know her and appears uncertain of his own identity. After eight minutes, a bomb goes off on the train, and the man awakens to find himself strapped inside a small geodesic dome. There, Air Force Capt. Colleen Goodwin (Vera Farmiga) explains to him through a computer screen that he is actually Colter Stevens, a decorated army helicopter pilot, now on a mission to locate the maker of a bomb which destroyed a train headed into Chicago. This is to be accomplished using the Source Code, a time loop program that allows him to take over someone's body in a reenactment of their last eight minutes of life.Stevens has no memory of how he became involved in the Source Code project; his last memory is of flying in a recent mission in Afghanistan while taking on enemy gunfire. Stevens's mission in the Source Code is to assume the identity of Fentress, one of the train's passengers, locate the bomb, discover who detonated it, and report back to Goodwin to prevent the bomber from detonating a larger dirty nuclear device in downtown Chicago, which could cause the deaths of millions of people. Goodwin and the Source Code's creator, Dr. Rutledge (Jeffrey Wright), tell him that the Source Code is not a simulation, but a visit into the past in the form of an alternate reality. He's told that he cannot truly alter the past to save any of the passengers, but that he must gather intel that can be used to alter the future and prevent a future attack. Goodwin assures Stevens that "everything will be OK."Stevens is sent into the Source Code repeatedly, and each time a series of events repeat, with variations due to Stevens's acts. Meanwhile, he goes on searching for the terrorist and getting to know Christina, until the bomb that destroys the train goes off and Fentress dies, sending Stevens back to the chamber.Even though Rutledge and Goodwin constantly direct him to focus on finding the bomber, each time around he learns more, both about the terrorist attack and his real life personal situation. Stevens resolves to complete his mission, now with the added personal goal of saving Christina and the people on the train if at all possible.Using a cellphone while on the train, Stevens eventually discovers that he supposedly died two months ago. He confronts Goodwin with this information, and learns from Goodwin and Rutledge that he had been shot down during the war, and his mutilated body was appropriated by the Air Force and used by Rutledge to operate the Source Code. Stevens then asks Rutledge and Goodwin to let him die, which they promise they will do once the mission is finished.He eventually discovers that the bomber is a disturbed American young man named Derek Frost (Michael Arden), which allows authorities to apprehend Frost and save Chicago before the second bomb is detonated.With the mission accomplished, and despite their promise, Rutledge orders Stevens's memory to be erased and stored for reuse in further missions. However, Stevens persuades Goodwin to send him in one more time and give him one last chance to avert the train disaster. Goodwin agrees that he deserves to be allowed to die in peace afterwards instead of being held alive as a military brain in a vat.With the information he has uncovered from previous trips into the Source Code, Stevens is able to defuse the bomb and immobilize Frost before he can destroy the train.Stevens and Christina kiss in the last seconds before the eight-minute mark. In that instant, Goodwin turns off his life support per his request, but to Stevens's surprise, his mind remains in Sean Fentress's body. He is then able to safely leave the train with Christina, also saving the rest of the passengers. Now in the alternate universe, an alternate version of Goodwin receives an email from Stevens explaining what has happened and that the Source Code can alter the target alternate reality. The movie ends with Stevens taking Fentress's place, and asking Goodwin to help Captain Colter Stevens and tell him that "everything will be OK.", which Goodwin had told Stevens earlier in the film. | mystery, murder, alternate reality, flashback, psychedelic, action, romantic, suspenseful, alternate history | train | imdb | null |
tt0325703 | Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life | The film begins on Santorini island, Greece, during a wedding when it is interrupted by an earthquake. The earthquake uncovers the Luna Temple, built by Alexander the Great to house his most prized treasures. Among these treasures is a glowing orb with a pattern resembling a code etched into it. Lara finds this orb, as well as a strange medallion; but both are stolen by the crime lord Chen Lo (Simon Yam). Lara (Angelina Jolie) only just manages to escape as a subsequent earthquake causes the Luna Temple to collapse, while her two companions are killed by Chen's men. Lara is tasked by MI6 to find Pandora's Box, an object from ancient legends that supposedly contains a deadly plague, before Nobel Prize-winning scientist turned bio-terrorist Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) can get his hands on it. The key to finding the box, which is hidden in the mysterious Cradle of Life, is a magical luminous sphere that serves as a map, the one stolen by Chen Lo in Santorini, who plans to sell the sphere to Reiss. To help her track down Chen Lo and the ball, Lara recruits an old lover, Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler), a former mercenary and Royal Marine, who was in prison in the Republic of Kazakhstan.Among the action sequences that take place during this time are Lara and Terry's entry into China, a fight scene in suburban Shanghai, and a leap off the then-under-construction International Finance Centre skyscraper in Hong Kong, using special winged flight-suits that Terry had arranged for, landing on a ship out in the Kowloon Bay after taking the Orb from Reiss. It is revealed that the medallion Lara also recovered from Chen Lo shows how to unlock the information in the Orb; a certain arrangement of musical sounds. Meanwhile, Lara and Terry begin to fall in love again; but Lara starts to back away from him knowing that she could easily kill him if he betrays her. She seduces him one morning, then leaves him handcuffed to a bedpost, saying "I'm not leaving because I can't kill you; I'm leaving because I could."Lara finds her way to a floating houseboat where a Chinese family is watching SpongeBob SquarePants when Lara asks to use their satellite to communicate with Bryce (Noah Taylor). After some technical difficulties, Bryce sends Lara the file and she uses the sounds make the The Orb reveal the location of the Cradle of Life, which is revealed to be somewhere near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, thanks to an ancient hologram produced by the Orb. Lara sends this info to Bryce back at Croft Manor. After the transmission, it is revealed that Reiss and his men had infiltrated Croft Manor and captured Bryce and James "Hilly" Hillary (Chris Barrie).Lara meets up with Kosa (Djimon Hounsou), an African friend who serves as her translator as they obtain the information from a local tribe about the Cradle of Life. Kosa translates for the tribe's chieftain stating that the Cradle of Life is in a crater protected by the "Shadow Guardians" (humanoid creatures which kill immediately when they sense a movement and vanish into wet patches on dead trees). As the expedition sets out, Lara, Kosa, and the tribesmen with them are ambushed by Reiss' soldiers. More tribesmen are killed by Reiss' soldiers with some of the soldiers being killed by Lara in the fight. The fight ends with Lara surrendering to overwhelming odds as Reiss' helicopter started to land. Reiss and Sean (Til Schweiger) threaten to kill Bryce, Hillary, and Kosa unless Lara leads him and his soldiers to the Cradle of Life. Upon arrival at the crater, they encounter the Shadow Guardians with the wet patching on the dead trees being the blood of their victims. Sean and most of Reiss' soldiers are killed by the creatures. When Lara drops the Orb into the hole that opens the entrance to the Cradle of Life, the Shadow Guardians fall to pieces and both Lara and Reiss are drawn into the Cradle of Life, a labyrinthine cavern made of some strange crystalline substance, racked by bolts of energy where "'sky and earth are one, direction meaningless." Inside there is a pool of highly corrosive black acid (linking back to one of the myths about Pandora's Box) which holds the box and where the laws of physics do not apply, as Lara and Reiss are able to walk (upside down) along the ceiling of the cave. Terry arrives, frees Reiss' captives, and catches up to Lara.Following a climactic fistfight between Lara and Reiss, Reiss is knocked into the acid pool by Lara after he is distracted by Terry, killing and dissolving him. When the couple tries to leave, Terry attempts to take the box as compensation for finding it. But Lara staunchly refuses to let him, knowing the danger if the box were ever open. Despite her love for him, this results in Lara being forced to fatally shoot him in self-defense just after Terry draws his own gun preparing to shoot Lara. Lara is tempted to open the box herself, but realizes that some artifacts are not meant to be found. Placing the box back in the acid pool, she leaves, giving the medallion to the chieftain.Lara and Kosa leave the village along with Bryce and Hillary (who were unknowingly being prepared for a tribal wedding ceremony). The film ends with Lara driving the jeep away from the setting sun. | paranormal, cult, action, boring, violence | train | imdb | That is why I don't know why it has lower rating that the first Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie...
Although Cradle of Life won't go down in movie history as an all-time classic, I am mystified at why so many critics and moviegoers hated it.In my opinion, this movie is much better than the first Tomb Raider film.
The first film was entertaining, make no mistake, but it still had too much of a comic book feel and 'Angelina Jolie' (qv) had not yet gotten a firm grasp of the Lara Croft role.
I was one of the many who protested when she was cast in the role; the first film left be unconvinced, but she finally won me over in her second outing.The story is also more interesting in the second film, with the whole Pandora's Box angle being something more worthy of Tomb Raider than the tired old "conspiracy out to take over the world" plot of the first film.There are some aspects of the second film that I didn't care for as much.
(Indeed, if Hollywood ever follows through with it's long-threatened female Bond film, they could do far worse than get Angelina Jolie for the role of Jane(?) Bond.)What appealed to me in Cradle of Life is how familiar Lara, her background, and her supporting characters have become with only one previous film under their belts.
This level of familiarity, of character comfort, is something I've only ever seen once before -- in the Bond series.Cradle of Life also features some most impressive set pieces that may not necessarily advance the story, but are great to watch, such as a zoom in from outer space on Lara riding a motorcycle, an incredible zoom-in shot THROUGH the window of Croft Manor, and a great scene of Lara shooting at targets while riding a horse -- sidesaddle!Sadly, the critical and box office failure of Cradle of Life probably guarantees no further entries in the series, and even if it does continue, Jolie looks ready to follow Audrey Hepburn's lead and put acting on the back burner in favor of humanitarian work so the role will probably go to another (possibly less talented) actress.
If this turns out to be the case, I believe the Lara Croft series looks set to be remembered as fondly as the Derek Flint films of the 1960s.Anyone who has been scared away by the bad reviews could do worse than to rent a copy from their local video store and check it out.
If you're a die hard Indiana Jones fan, or any of those movies that take you all over the world on a great treasure hunt, you will LOVE Tomb Raider!
The movie centers on Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) who is assigned by the British Intelligence -MI6- to discover the Pandora box that the baddies (Ciaran Hinds and Til Schweiger) want to find with the purpose of ruling the world .
Angelina Jolie returns as a distaff Indiana Jones in "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life," an action/adventure film (based on a video game character) that is just goofy enough and inane enough to be almost entertaining.In this follow-up adventure - which is designed to give historians and social studies teachers a severe case of the heebie-jeebies - Lara, the world-famous archaeologist and adventurist, finds evidence that the mythical Pandora's Box is really no myth at all, but rather an actual object loaded with enough plague and pestilence to wipe the entire human race off the face of the planet.
Now, twenty-four centuries later, Lara has to try and prevent an evil billionaire capitalist from locating the container, prying open the lid, and bringing an end to civilization as we know it.Though the storyline is clearly not one to be conjured with, all that really matters in a movie such as this one is that the action move quickly and the stunts be sufficiently enterprising to engage the audience.
It is also the only part in the movie that feels like the tomb raider video game.
The main reason I think this might be because of my love to video-games, and I loved Resident Evil and the first Tomb Raider movie too.I wasn't really a fan when I saw the first movie, I'd never played a Tomb Raider game before, but I decided to give it a go as it looked really cool.I went to the cinema to watch it and after that time I'm a big Tomb Raider fan.
Tomb Raider fans happened to see their fantastic character finally materialized in a Hollywood star which matches most of the characteristics described in the original Lara Croft.
After seeing this film I ended up becoming a little fan of both: Lara Croft & Angelina Jolie.
Something that I couldn't feel on the first film.Some things that I believe are valuable to appreciate from this movie are: Jolie's professionalism to play scenes that are normally executed by stunts: Lara shooting from the horse, All martial arts fighting scenes, Playing those jetsky tricks, or doing the shooting when coming down from that rope, and when being elevated by the shark.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life is an improvement over the original as it delivers more action and adventure.
The plot sounds okay but the main reason someone would see this film is for the action scenes and Angelina Jolie.
Angelina Jolie does a good job of playing Lara Croft and she is also very breathtaking in the film.
The series has been re-energized with the new entry "The Cradle Of Life," a high-spirited, far-reaching film that doesn't quite succeed but is such an improvement on the originals that you're ready to overlook all that.Actually, this is a review of "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life", the sequel to 2001's abysmally dull video-game-based film "Tomb Raider." Angelina Jolie is back as sexy, gun-toting archeologist Lara Croft, and at first glance, it's easy to mistake her for Bond, Jane Bond.
And of course, time is running out.Jolie is excellent as Lara Croft, and there probably isn't an actress around who would be better cast in the role.
Butler is great to look at, but his performance is far too low-key and deadpan for a movie as bombastic as this one wants to be, especially when he's paired with Jolie, who enters each seen with a relishing look in her eyes.
Like 007, we always know the hero will prevail in the end, which robs some scenes of the tension needed to excite the audience.Despite some of these flaws, "The Cradle Of Life" is a fine movie and a good way to spend 2 hours on a summer afternoon.
I like Angelina Jolie playing the role of Lara Croft and I liked all the special effects they used to make this movie.
Seriously, this guy could be reading a description of Angelina's naked body and bore the hell out of me.I gave Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life a two out of ten.
I never knew I could hate a film so much, until I saw Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.After the medicore, but entertaining first Lara Croft movie, comes this just-plain-crap and boring sequel.
Now marginally good video games are recycled into incredibly bad movies, and third rate TV shows are now plundered for their core idea and turned into fifth rate films.If Hollywood is wondering why their profits are down and why people aren't going out to the movies anymore, its because they continue to make sheer festering piles of uselessness like "Lara Croft: Video Game Idea Raider".
Its not just because the economy is bad that we avoid these movies like death itself, its more because we know that an emotionless video game shoot-em-up is not likely to produce any greatness up on the big screen.The talent in the movie industry is now spread so thinly that its virtually undetectable.How about next summer instead of 20 unbelievably awful movies, how about they just make 1 good one..
Considering "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" was pretty good entertainment, this sequel was a disappointment.
As with most sequels, it just overdoes what was popular in the first film.In this case, that means the action is WAY overdone (since it was too much on the first film, to begin with); "Laura" becomes WAY too much of a feminist-macho icon and Jolie's British accent here is so phony it's embarrassing, and annoying to hear.On he good side, I enjoyed the exotic locales (Far East and Africa), it had very little profanity and some of the stunts were wild and fun to watch.
The plot/script does have room for some improvement.Angelina Jolie returns as Lara Croft, a sexy adventurer that you should not mess around with.
(no spoilers)I wonder if you can use the excuse of "this vapid excuse for a movie consumed valuable hours of my time" to get your money back.I usually try to find atleast one redeeming factor in every movie I see (well, maybe i'm just trying to justify the expenditure), but I can't find a much here save for the inclusion of the fellow who played Rimmer (who was extremely poorly utilised) and a view of Angelina Jolie in a skin tight wetsuit(which was not nearly revealing enough).You'd think they'd have a bit of a better budget to make the sequel better, no?
Am I glad I did...Angelina Jolie is back as our female Indiana Jones (though much less fun), computer game character Lara Croft.
But from the mandrills to the skydiving, this was waste of a lot of movie money, some good actors and a lot of potential.On the other hand, with all the cuttings from part 1 & 2, they must have enough to string together a whole third film with no need to reshoot anything.Maybe one day EIDOS will vet enough pre-production rushes, scripts and cinematography and give us something that matches the addictive pleasure of their game.
This time out, Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie), the closest thing Indiana Jones will ever have to a daughter, has to stop a crazed scientist, Johnathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) from finding Pandora's Box, as it will destroy the world if opened.
As Lara herself says, `Some things were not meant to be found.' Ah, if only we were all so wise.I'm not exactly sure who will benefit from viewing "Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life." The film looks splashy enough, but this is still mediocrity, albeit mediocrity served on a silver platter.
The males in the audience won't find much in the way of cleavage from Ms. Jolie, as she has even abandoned wearing any of the bra padding that the first film so prominently featured, and females can find better representations of girl power in "Charlie's Angels." (What that says about the times we are in, I'm not quite sure.) The thing that has always seemed funny to me is the fact that making it through a "Tomb Raider" video-game takes a fair amount of brain cells, due to the many puzzles and such that they contain, but watching either of the two films spawned from them takes almost none.
I have not seen the first 'Tomb Raider' movie, but if what people are saying is true -- if the sequel, 'The Cradle of Life,' is indeed BETTER than the first movie -- than thank goodness I did not have to subject myself to the original "adventure" of Lara Croft.
Seriously, there is an action sequence set in Shanghai that involves a pagoda, a helicopter, Lara Croft and some kind of orb, but I could not tell you for the life of me what exactly HAPPENS during that sequence.The only saving grace here is Angelina Jolie, who must be the acting equivalent of teflon -- the movie's sheer badness just slides off her as she floats through the film with as much good humor and aplomb as one could possibly be expected to muster.
It's possible that my having been the sole audience for this film at a recent showing in my local multiplex diminished my enjoyment of it, but I suspect that my lack of affection for this movie really stems from the lazy, ill-conceived script and appalling direction that the actors couldn't have broken out of if they'd wanted to.I'm not about to complain about any lack of fidelity to the official back-story, or even to the games themselves - it's a popcorn movie for heaven's sake - but I've been unable to figure out why you'd drop a character like Lara Croft into a Roger Moore-era Bond flick, much less one with any sense of humour forcibly removed.
This is a "Tomb Raider" film in name only - there is no significant part of the movie that would prevent it having been rolled out under a different franchise.Done with knowing humour and a little more affection for the genre, this could still have been a fun if parodic outing.
First, I have never seen the computer game, but last night I saw the previous Lara Croft movie.This one is much better.
Ideally the Tomb Raider movies would have been originated as a trilogy with a story arc circling Lara's parents to continue to flesh out her reasons for doing things and her entry to the game.
(Notice also that no women, children nor animals were hurt in this film...is that a bad thing?)So get off of the fact that you'd have liked to see a little nipple or the fact that Lara Croft seemed like a cartoon cut-out (what about James Bond, Spiderman, etc.) I think that this movie, Cradle of Life TR2, shakes up the status quo and so what of it?
Tomb Raider 2: The Cradle Of Life was a putrid piece of film-making, it has only 1 single redeeming factor, Angelina is hot, and shes in full sex-appeal mode in this flick, other than that, i can not think of a single thing i enjoyed, it was THAT bad.
i mean, lets all be honest, it was the exact same story in tomb raider 1, which was also a pitiful excuse for a film, however i assumed that if they got enough money to do this movie, based on the first flick, that they must have gotten a great script, so i gave it a shot...let me save you the time and effort....skip it, its not even worth the 2 hours of your life thats wasted.
I liked the first Tomb Raider and I like Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft.
"Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" remains one of the many forgettable action movies, relying on too much CGI, stunts and flashy editing.
There's nothing at all appealing about Lara Croft except that she looks good in a wetsuit.As you can see, I hated this movie.
I never liked the tomb raider games (actually I only ever tried one of them briefly, and decided to never do that again), and I really don't think the movies have improved on them at all.In this, the second instalment Lara Croft has to go off and rob some temples of everything shiny, after which she will blow them up and leave them in ruin (okay, it may not happen excactly like that, but it's better than the incomprehensible babble they try to pass off as a storyline).What really bugs me about this movie is the fact that Lara Croft is completely unable to relax, or at least it seems that way, because every five minutes there is some kind of action sequence, some of which are extremely silly.
I like Angelina Jolie in the movies, and not just for her looks, but she should definitely stay away from Lara Croft from now on.
the closing scenes are done to provide a reasonable amount of interest and if your a fan of either Angelina or Tomb Raider you will most likely enjoy if not love this film probably worth renting but don't pay large amounts of cash to own this one though..
The law of the movie world seems to be that the bigger the budget the more cheese and corn the script should contain, and the less narrative logic.I actually liked the first Tomb Raider movie a fair bit - it was great to see Lara Croft in an autonomous adventure, and Angelina Jolie fit the character perfectly - smart, sexy, athletic and tough.
The big Scottish guy wasn't bad at all, but the film would have been 5 times better if it'd just focussed on Lara raiding tombs and kicking ass.
Then, what is annoying is this nagging would-be deadpan humor which helps to mar the film and even the presence of a specialist in action film, Jan De Bont doesn't redeem at all this abysmal product from absolute wreckage.From the Pandhora box, everything baneful that can damage a film like "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: the Cradle of Life" got out and destroyed it.
The Cradle of Life actually does stand with those movies, dramatic with good characters.The story was fascinating, and Angelina was great as usual, as was every outfit she wore, especially the silver wet suit.
But when I watch `Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life', I certainly expect to laugh, to have a light entertainment and lots of fun.
So I didnt go into "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" with much expectation.
Well Angelina Jolie is a great actress and has make Lara Croft her own but the script didn't help her one bit.
it was very good the second movie of this 6 video games products.this movie have good action scenes and stunts,though the plot i did like it very much.but Angelina Jolie brings life to this video game character.
Lara Croft - Cradle of life, is one of those rare films, that is better than the original and then some. |
tt0066995 | Diamonds Are Forever | After the murder of his wife, James Bond (Sean Connery) is relentlessly pursuing Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Charles Gray). After interrogating several of Blofeld's associates worldwide, Bond traces him to a facility where he is surgically creating look-alikes of himself. Bond kills a test subject who is lying in a mud bath. Bond manages to drown the man, but is captured by Blofeld. After a fight, Bond kills Blofeld by throwing him into a pool of superheated mud.In a South African desert, two men, Mr. Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith), are observing a scorpion and talking about how deadly they are. Wint dons gloves and picks up the scorpion. A man arrives on a scooter; he is a dentist who smuggles diamonds from South African mines, retrieving them from his patients who hide them in their mouths. He has come to give Wint and Kidd a small load of them. When Kidd begins moaning in pain, he claims he has a toothache. The doctor begins to examine him when Wint drops the live scorpion into his shirt, killing him. A helicopter arrives, the pilot demanding to know where the doctor is. Kidd and Wint tell the man that the doctor is sick and couldn't make it. They give the man a case, presumably containing the diamonds. As the chopper flies off, it explodes. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd then walk off, hand-in-hand, with the diamonds.Suspecting that South African diamonds are being stockpiled to depress prices by dumping, and convinced that Blofeld is dead, M (Bernard Lee) orders Bond to go undercover as smuggler Peter Franks and unveil the smuggling ring. Meanwhile, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd arrive in Amsterdam and systematically kill more diamond smugglers involved in the ring. Posing as Franks, Bond travels to Amsterdam to meet his contact, a shrewd American woman named Tiffany Case (Jill St. John), at her apartment where he is to pick up the diamonds. However, the real Franks shows up later that evening and tries to contact Case. Bond intercepts and kills him and sabotages the attack to make it seem like Franks is actually James Bond. Case and Bond smuggle the diamonds to Los Angeles hiding them inside Franks' corpse. They are unaware that Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd are also on the same airplane traveling to Los Angeles.At the LA airport, Bond meets his CIA ally Felix Leiter (Norman Burton) and transports the body to Slumber Inc., a funeral home which is a smuggling front where Bond meets the lead undertaker Rodney (Marc Lawrence) and his assistant (Sid Haig) where the dead body of Franks is cremated and the diamonds passed onto the next smuggler, an elderly man named Shady Tree. While Bond retrieves the cash for the diamonds, he's knocked unconscious by Wint and Kidd, who put him in a coffin and trundle it into the cremation oven. Bond nearly burns alive when the coffin is suddenly opened by Tree and Mr. Slumber. Tree accuses Bond of giving them fake diamonds and Bond counters saying that they wouldn't have tried to burn him alive with the real money. Bond tells Leiter to ship the real diamonds while he relaxes at a Las Vegas hotel and casino called The Whyte House, where Tree works as a stand-up comedian. Then Bond discovers Tree has been killed by Wint and Kidd in his dressing room, who did not know that the diamonds were fake. When the casino pit boss, Mr. Saxby, and the underboss to Wint and Kidd, realizes that Tree did not have the real diamonds, he contacts his superior for further instructions.Later in the casino, Bond meets an opportunistic woman named Plenty O' Toole (Lana Wood). She cheers him on as he gambles, and, (in a deleted scene), they have dinner together. She invites herself up to his room, but after Bond undresses Plenty she is quickly thrown out of a window, landing in the hotel pool by the Slumber Inc. smugglers already waiting in his room, who have now come for the real diamonds. The Slumber Inc. smugglers then leave Bond to spend the rest of the night with Tiffany Case whom is in the bedroom waiting for him. (In another deleted scene, Plenty returns to Bond's room to retrieve her clothes. She sees Bond and Tiffany in bed together, and takes an address card from Tiffany's purse, later to show up at Tiffany's house.)Tiffany tries to get Bond to reveal the location of the real diamonds by offering to help him steal the diamonds for themselves. Bond pretends to give in and arranges for her to retrieve the diamonds at the Circus Circus Las Vegas casino. At the circus, Tiffany picks up the diamonds in a stuffed toy bear doll, unaware that she is under the surveillance of Felix Leiter and his men, but she reneges her deal with Bond and flees, shipping off the diamonds to the next smuggler. When Tiffany returns to her operation residence she finds Bond waiting for her and finds the body of Plenty, who was killed (presumably by Wint and Kidd) when she was mistaken for Tiffany. Having survived the attempt on her life, the initially reticent Tiffany tells Bond where the diamonds are.Bond and Tiffany go to the Las Vegas airport to watch the small locker where Tiffany was instructed to leave the doll containing the diamonds. The doll is picked up by a porter who takes it to the casino pit boss, Saxby, who then drives it in a van to a local filling station where he switches drivers with another who gets in the van. Tiffany distracts the other driver of the van long enough for Bond to sneak in to follow the location of the diamonds. The van is driven outside of the city to a government laboratory in the desert.Posing as a lab worker, Bond enters the apparent destination of the diamonds a research laboratory owned by reclusive Las Vegas millionaire Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean), where he finds the driver of the van is laser refraction specialist Professor Dr. Metz (Joseph Fürst) constructing a satellite. When his cover is blown, Bond escapes from the lab by stealing a moon buggy and reunites with Tiffany. They return to the Vegas that evening where they get into another wild car chase with the local police on Vegas' famous Freemont Street and evade all the police cars.Bond and Case check into a suite in the Whyte House where Felix and his men place Tiffany under house arrest after Bond finally reveals his real identity to her. Bond later scales the walls to the top floor of the Whyte House to confront Willard Whyte. Inside, 007 is confronted by two identical Blofelds who are posing as Whyte using an adapted telephone to mask their voice. (The Blofeld Bond killed in the pre-title teaser was a look-alike.) Not knowing which to kill, Bond kicks Blofeld's white Persian cat into the arms of one of the pair and shoots him. However, Bond again chose the wrong man, killing another look-alike.Bond is rendered unconscious and then inside a pipeline by Wint and Kidd to be trapped underground in the desert. He escapes and contacts Blofeld, posing as one of Whyte's employees and Blofeld's right-hand man, Bert Saxby. He finds out Whyte's location and, after a brief battle with his female bodyguards Bambi and Thumper, rescues him, but in the meantime Blofeld escapes from the Whyte House and abducts Tiffany. With the help of Whyte and Felix, Bond returns to the government lab and uncovers Blofeld's plot to create a laser satellite using the diamonds, which is now already in orbit. Blofeld destroys nuclear installations in the United States, Russia, and China, then proposes an international auction for global nuclear supremacy.Bond identifies an oil rig off the coast of Baja California as Blofeld's base of operations. Arriving at the rig, he is immediately apprehended. Bond plans to switch the cassette containing the codes which control the satellite with a music tape. After he does, he gives the coded one to Tiffany who is living there as a hostage. However, trying to be helpful, she re-switches the tapes, then gets caught trying to fix her mistake and is sent down to the brig. At this point, Felix Leiter and the CIA have already begun a heavy attack on the oil-rig. Tiffany manages to escape amidst the chaos and regroup with Bond. Blofeld tries to escape on a mini-sub, but Bond gains control of it, and crashes the sub into the control room, defeating Blofeld and destroying the satellite control along with the rest of the base.Bond and Tiffany then head for home on a P&O ship Canberra, but they are unaware that Wint and Kidd also aboard. That evening, disguised as waiters, Wint and Kidd enter Bond and Tiffany's stateroom to serve them dinner and to kill them with a bomb hidden in a cake timed to go off in three minutes. Despite having never seen them face to face, Bond sees through their ploy when he recognizes the scent of Wint's aftershave after smelling it earlier in the desert. When Bond blows Wint's cover by tricking him into revealing his poor knowledge of wines, a fight breaks out, and Bond disposes of both of them overboard; Kidd is set on fire and Wint has the bomb tied to him after Bond discovers it. The film ends with Tiffany asking Bond how can they get all the diamonds in the orbiting laser satellite back down to Earth again which now appears as a bright spot in the night sky. | cult, revenge, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0085811 | Krull | In outer space a large asteroid-like object floats above the planet Krull. It suddenly changes course and lands on the planet. From fissures in the rock pour out a vast army of strange and fearsome creatures called Slayers. They fan out and begin to terrorize villages and cities. The ruler of the Slayers and inhabitant of the asteroid, called the Black Fortress, is a hulking alien being called the Beast. A voice, belonging to an old man name Ynyr speaks of a prophecy that one day a young prince will possess the power to defeat the Beast. Until the prophecy can be fulfilled, Krull will endure years of terror from the Beast and his armies.The young prince believed to be Krull's savior is Colwyn. He is betrothed to a young woman, Lyssa. The prophecy also speaks of the prince's bride being born with an ancient name and that she and her husband shall rule the universe if the Beast is defeated.Colwyn rides to his bride's father's castle for the wedding. He and his father & their party are delayed because the roads they travel are dangerous and there are regular patrols of Slayers. When they arrive, the marriage ceremony is put into motion. Just as the bride and groom are about to complete a tradition of exchanging a flame the Slayers attack the castle and interrupt the ceremony. Colwyn and his father and his father-in-law-to-be mount a valiant defense but they are vastly outnumbered. Lyssa is captured, Colwyn's father and the bride's father are slain and Colwyn himself is wounded and left for dead.Some time later Colwyn is found by Ynyr, who takes him to a hidden location to tend to his wounds. He tells Colwyn of the prophecy and that he is the prince that will save the planet. However, Colwyn must save Lyssa from the clutches of The Beast, who has taken her back to the Black Fortress. Colwyn scoffs at the plan since it is widely known that with each sunrise on the planet the Black Fortress changes location and never appears in the same place twice.Ynyr seems undaunted by the ubiquitous nature of the Black Fortress -- he believes that and on wizard named the Emerald Seer can predict the next location. Ynyr also tells Colwyn that he'll need an ancient weapon to complete the mission: the Glaive, a five-bladed star-shaped device. To retrieve it the two travel to the Granite Mountains. Colwyn makes a difficult and dangerous climb into a volcanic crevice. He finds the Glaive lying in a stream of lava. He pulls it out and the sooty coating falls off, revealing an ornate weapon. When he returns to Ynyr, the old man tells him not to make use of it until he knows he needs it.As they make their way to the Emerald Seer's home, they suddenly see a meteor-like object fly by. It turns out to be a man who introduces himself as Ergo the Magnificent, a would-be sorcerer. After a seemingly confrontational conversation, Ergo decides to join Colwyn and Ynyr when he sees a large and imposing cyclops.Some time later the party encounters a small group of bandits who all still wear shackles indicating that they are actually escaped prisoners. Colwyn recognizes that they are criminals but not without honor and that they can help him in his quest. He frees them from their shackles and appoints their leader, Torquil, his new Lord Marshal. A short time later, Ergo is nearly killed by a Slayer; he is saved by the same cyclops he'd seen when he'd joined with Colwyn and Ynyr. The cyclops tells them his name is Rell. His race has a long history with the Beast -- they'd previously been a two-eyed race of giants who'd been offered the ability to see the future. However, the Beast had tricked them into giving up one of their eyes for the ability to see only their own deaths.The band arrives at the Emerald Seer's home in a thick forest. The old man has a small apprentice whom is befriended by Ergo. The Seer uses a large emerald to predict the next location of the Black Fortress but is violently thwarted by the Beast, who crushes the gem from his location. The Seer says that he can try again from his own fortress deep in a nearby swamp where the Beast's power cannot reach.In the Black Fortress, Lyssa wanders through many bizarre chambers. She is taunted by the grumbling voice of the Beast. When one of the hallways closes in on her, she enters the fortress' central chamber where The Beast himself lives. He tells her that she must marry him so he can secure his power. She refuses and he threatens to kill more of Krull's inhabitants until she agrees.While traveling through the swamp Colwyn's band is attacked by Slayers, a distraction from the Beast, who sends a creature called a Changeling to kill the Seer and take his place. The Seer's body is found by Rell, who rushes to find the party. He stops the Changeling from killing Colwyn. With no seeming way to find the Black Fortress, the party settles in for the night in a nearby forest. One of the bandits' wives provides them with food. Ynyr tells the group that he will seek the counsel of an old woman, the Widow of the Web, who can also see into the future. When Torquil scoffs at the plan, citing the fact that no one has entered the Widow's lair and lived, Ynyr tells them that he knows the Widow's real name and he may be able to speak to her and live.Ynyr enters the Widow's cave which contains a giant spider web. He is immediately pursued by the Widow's guardian, a large white spider. He calls out the Widow's name, which is the same as Colwyn's bride, Lyssa, and the Widow turns over an hourglass, stopping the spider until Ynyr can enter her chamber at the center of the web. Ynyr and the Widow have a history of unrequited love and the Widow reveals that she is trapped forever in the web because she killed the newborn son that resulted from their romance. She agrees to help Ynyr and tells him that the Black Fortress will appear the next day on the Iron Desert and will remain there until sunset. For Ynyr to leave the web alive, she gives him the sand from the hourglass. Ynyr cannot stop the sand from leaking out of his hands and the widow gravely warns him that his own life will run out when all the sand has run out. Ynyr is able to leave the cave and the spider attacks the Widow's home, destroying it.Ynyr returns to the camp and bellows out the next location of the Black Fortress to the band, dying shortly after. Colwyn and Torquil puzzle over how to reach the fortress in time. Rell tells them that a species of horse, fire mares, can cross the distance. The band finds a herd of the animals and sets out, leaving Rell behind at his request: his own time of death is near and he wants to be left alone.The band rides out to the Iron Desert just in time to catch the fortress. They fight Slayers while scaling the fortress' rocky exterior. Just when it seems they will not make it inside, Rell appears and holds a closing door open for them. After they are all inside, the door finally shuts, crushing Rell.Inside the fortress, the band is separated by attacking Slayers. They encounter various traps in the many chambers of the fortress. Colwyn is able to find the central chamber where Lyssa is held captive. He uses the Glaive to cut a doorway, the process being very slow. Most of his band are able to avoid being killed by traps, however some of them die. When he finally gains entry, Colwyn again uses the Glaive to fight the Beast and finally lodges the weapon in it's chest. When he gestures to retrieve it, the Glaive will not return to his hand. The Beast attacks again, seemingly invincible until Lyssa reminds Colwyn that the power of the flame used during their marriage ceremony can be used as a weapon. Colwyn fires it at the Beast repeatedly until the monster is destroyed. The traps that ensnared his comrades deactivate and they join up to escape. Colwyn uses the flame to blast a hole in the wall of the fortress, allowing them to exit. The fortress sits on a lush, open field, and begins to crumble, the pieces of it flying into outer space.Colwyn and Lyssa are officially married and we hear Ynyr's voice saying they shall rule the universe with benevolence. | cult, action, romantic, fantasy | train | imdb | After they snag up our hero, Prince Colwyn's bride-to-be, he goes on a quest to save her with the help of a star-shaped boomerang with knives called the Glaive and a band of strange characters including a cyclops and a goofy guy who can change into animals.Good time fun worth the rental price.
I believe the content of Krull wouldn't interest most adults, and diehard fantasy fans like myself aren't adults in the proper sense of the word anyway.Krull offers the sheer pleasure of watching medieval men (Englishmen?), armed mostly with swords and spears, fighting seemingly unstoppable alien warriors with laser guns.
I can understand why someone wouldn't like Krull, because its similarities to Star Wars are so obvious that the movie seems derivative and formulaic even though it deserves credit for presenting its familiar fantasy elements in a somewhat unique manner.
Except for the massive spaceship/fortress that glides slowly by during the opening credits, of course.One reason I like Krull is that the whole production has a distinctly British flavor: yes, the cast and the scenery are obviously British, even if some of it was filmed in Italy, but the movie is unmistakably British in more subtle ways.
Armstrong's character is my favorite of the movie because I can't help liking a criminal who wants to redeem himself with heroism...like Han Solo (sorry, yet another Star Wars parallel).Some comments have complained that Ken Marshall lacks charisma as the hero, but since he looks like Errol Flynn with a beard he certainly has the perfect appearance for a fantasy swashbuckler.
At least one comment complained that Marshall doesn't display enough grief for the deaths of his men, but since the good guys drop like flies in this movie (dying words are reserved for the developed characters) I don't blame him for not stopping to cry while alien laser beams fly past his head.At least two subplots add mythological or religious connotations to the story: first, the Cyclops (Yes, there's a Cyclops in this movie, and it doesn't look believable at all.
Even if the spider's cheesy stop-motion animation renders it less than believably real, the sequence is so effectively creepy that it couldn't be improved today except by updating the special effects: perhaps the Shelob sequence in the third Lord of the Rings movie (for which the Krull sequence will provide an interesting precursor) will be better.Peter Yates' direction is competent, though it's hardly the equal of Bullitt (the only other work of his that I've seen).
When a movie shows me Errol Flynn killing alien warriors with a mystical boomerang, I cease to be a critic because serious film analysis has no place here!At the very least, Krull is the kind of movie that will give you and your friends plenty to talk about afterward, supposing that they're willing to watch it with you.Rating: 7 (A good fantasy-adventure.).
Rating: *** out of **** Enough people have tried comparing to Krull to Star Wars that I won't even bother emphasizing the similarities aside from the fact that Krull's mythology isn't half as well thought out, but it's just as fun as anything in George Lucas' space opus, and that's good enough to earn a recommendation from me; at the very least, this is easily among the best of its respective genre (better than, say The Sword and the Sorcerer or Willow), and it is to these standards one will immediately realize if this movie is up their alley or not.
It probably isn't.Set on a faraway world known as Krull, the film opens with the oncoming invasion of the Slayers, a fearsome, planet-conquering army led by the Beast, whose lair is a spacecraft shaped like a large mountain called the Black Fortress.
They've clearly got the sword-wielding residents of Krull outmatched, as the Slayers are armed with laser, though they curiously still use horses as a means of transportation.Knowing the only way to stave off the invaders is to unite, the planet's two warring kingdoms set aside their differences so that Prince Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and Princess Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) may be wed.
There's no question I'd go through the same trouble to rescue her as well.Despite running a little over two hours, Krull moves at a consistently excellent pace, delivering good production values (loved the exterior and interior sets of the Black Fortress), beautiful locations (and thus, some lovely cinematography), and a number of exciting action sequences.
I remember thinking KRULL wanted to be a STAR WARS but it wasn´t very good at it.Then as the years passed, i got to watch KRULL on video, and somehow i started realy to like this movie.
Ok, it´s not the perfect fantasy movie, but compared to the usual more recent unimaginative excuses for movies that come out of Hollywood, (see "Neverending Story III" or "Warriors of Virtue"), this movie KRULL is a brilliant fantasy masterpiece.KRULL has an excelent and different atmosphere, a much, much better script than WILLOW, excellent characters, a fantastic magic weapon, a good set design and it follows the Dungeon and Dragons formula in a very imaginative way, compared to the more recent movies.The actors do their jobs well, (try to spot Leam Neeson) the situations are imaginative and the soundtrack is realy good and very atmospheric also.The only minor fault in this production, is the way in wich we can immediately tell, when the outdoor scenes are filmed in indoor studios, because there is immediately a big contrast between the natural magnificent landscapes and the ones that are built in the studio.
Where computerised effects are mainstream today, in this film they are rarely used and the crew get round it with more hands on methods; making the entire piece look far more realistic.Granted the plot could be a little cliched, but the way in which the story tackles it is good, and you won't be bored by the various chapters that are presented.
the GREATEST SCORE in cinema history.The film is quite good with some British actors in early roles (Robbie Coltrane,Liam Neeson,Alun Armstrong)and has plenty of action and one eyed bloke who gets crushed inbetween rocks.But the only 2 things that stand out in this movie are 1 The Glave!!
Some kind of spiked boomerangand 2 James Horners "Ride Of the Firemares" This film is worth watching for the music alone possibly the greatest score in movie history!!!In short Better than Legend not as good as Willow or Neverendingstory.
Armed with supernatural powers, the handsome hero and his friends wage war against weird enemies .This fantasy picture packs thrills , imagination , impressive fights , a love story , fantastic creatures and special effects galore .
Saw this one at the movies and really enjoyed it.For a non-CG picture,I thought the effects were quite good.Of course,I'm not a hard -to-please Gen-X whiner,so "cheesy" effects don't bother me too much.And why don't you MST3K wannabes come up with another word besides "cheesy"?Anyway,I got just as much enjoyment from "Krull" as I did "Lord of the Rings" trilogy,and my butt did'nt get as tired from sitting."Krull"had a better music score,too,so there..
I go to see this movie in theater when come out i was 8 years old and i simply love the movie,The movie was a mix of STAR WARS & CONAN great effects (for time of course)great story,great actors (Hey Liam Neeson & Robbie Coltrane are here!)great monsters and the best thing of all great action and adventure!!!.I have this movie in BETA,VHS,DVD and BLU RAY is one of my all time favorites and i gonna tell you why.Like happen before in Aliens,Predator and others movie you really like the characters because they have a great chemistry in the movie (thats why when one of them dies you really feels sorry for them) and the final battle between the prince and the beast are great.All the people of my generation really remember this movie of one of their favorites and you see why.P.D:The music of JAMES HORNER is awesome!!!.
I love the fact that this takes place on some other planet that is Earth like, which to me makes it all the more fascinating, because it feels that this is a place where anything is possible and you wonder what else is there.I really love the production value, they spent what was a great amount of money at the time to make the film possible and it really shows, because most to all of it was practical; and part of why I think is still looks good today.
I know that he was only suppose to use it when he needed it the most but wasn't that one battle in the swamp or even part of the siege on the teleporting fortress, it just felt like lost opportunities but oh well.Overall Krull is a fun fantasy that makes the cut.Rating: 3 stars.
On the one hand we have all these lavish charcaters, creatures, and landscapes; giving a ripe fantasy apeal to it, and then there is the electrifying special effects (the enemy soldiers are black horned creatures whose weapons fire blades out of (lightsabre-looking) rods, giving off bursts of blue energy when they impact).But differing from Star Wars, Krull makes more room for accentuating the death scenes.
It's tempting to compare this against modern fantasy films, but that would be unfair.To modern fantasy films.Krull has a:--better cast (the actors look like this job was keeping them alive, and it probably was)--better story (well, similar story to a lot of movies today, but they got there first)--better monster (the slayers transformation to banana slugs after being killed is well done)--better weapon (ok, this matters less to me now, but in 1983, the ninja star-esque monster-killer, the Glave, was the dream weapon of 9 year olds everywhere)The rating on this movie (at the time of this review it was a 5.3) doesn't do it justice.
I would like to offer my words on the movie "Krull".Back when the movie Krull had just started to show at the theaters, the viewers such as myself found it to be a very well done film.It was Sci-Fi,Adventure,Pretty Ladies,And Aliens and all the excitement of the time that kids and adults needed it to be.Now in the 21st Century of the 2000's all we have are Movies with "Guns-People Killing families-Gang Warfare-Sex Offenders and the stuff that most families do not wish their children to see or to view".
This style would eventually be perfected in "The Princess Bride" a few years later - and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that the latter film was heavily inspired by this one.An alien called "the beast" (who resembles a certain 1950s movie monster) inexplicably invades the planet Krull in a mountain-sized spaceship - seemingly made of foam painted to look like rocks.
However, a prince named Colwyn (Ken Marshall) survives, and spurred on by a wise old mentor type named Ynyr (Freddie Jones), he makes the journey necessary to find the Black Fortress (a.k.a. the Beasts' stronghold), to find the weapon he needs (the Glaive - sort of a multi-bladed boomerang), and to gather together a group of travelling companions.This may not be among the most prestigious of the many films that the late, versatile filmmaker Peter Yates directed, but it's got to be among the most fun.
The widescreen photography (by Peter Suschitzky, who'd shot "The Empire Strikes Back"), the glorious rural vistas, the soaring music by James Horner (this has to rank as one of his finest scores), the makeup effects by Nick Maley, and a generous dose of cheese and corn do make "Krull" very watchable if not altogether memorable entertainment.Leads Marshall and Lysette Anthony are appealing and very good looking, if also on the bland side, but compensating for that is the rock solid supporting cast: Jones, Francesca Annis as the "Widow of the Web" (the sequence with Jones and Annis is emotional and poignant and the highlight of the movie), Alun Armstrong, Liam Neeson, and Robbie Coltrane as three of the several bandits who join Colwyn in the fight against evil, Bernard Bresslaw as the one eyed Rell, John Welsh as the blind seer, and David Battley as the character Ergo, who supplies comedy relief by changing into various animals, whether he wants to or not.All in all, "Krull" should prove to be enjoyable enough for devotees of the fantasy genre.Seven out of 10..
I just watched Krull for the first time and all I can say is wow, that was fun!I remember seeing this movie in the video store years ago and I simply got turned off by the learning from the cover that it was a mix of fantasy and scifi, a mix I foolishly thought could never work (or would work badly).I venture to guess maybe other fantasy (or scifi) purists might think the same, but if you do, you will be denying yourself a really entertaining adventure film.
I was given this movie last night from a friend in return for one he had borrowed and lost a long while back; it was part of a joke deal as the film was made back in 1983 (an era I'm normally keen on) I want to start on a positive by saying the whole thing actually looks pretty neat from the start, high-budget scenery and costumes for the time (1983) and special effects make the whole thing quite convincing for the opening 5-10 minutes until the action hits.
It was possibly a mistake casting a dashing prince who looks a tad like Errol Flynn complete with roguish beard and grin, and a deal of the royalty's themes and costumes seem like a lend from Robin Hood...So you're left with this feel of a Medieval dragon princess story in space except with laser/neon spears; a rather schizoid mêlée.The battle sequences are arguably pretty bad, clunky (possibly because most of the budget went on costumes) and slow-moving; Liam Neeson pops up as a bandit to cheer you up halfway through so you bear with it.I remember a wedding scene where the whole kingdom and castle is invited (consisting of about 30 people)...
Most of the basic elements are there—the nasty intergalactic overlord and his faceless minions, the seemingly impenetrable enemy fortress, the beautiful princess in constant peril, the handsome hero armed with a mythical weapon, and the wise old man who teaches him how to vanquish evil—but as is the case with so many Star Wars wannabes, it is lacking the refined exposition of Lucas's carefully constructed mythology.Fortunately, spirited performances from a great cast (which includes a young Liam Neeson, a relatively slim Robbie Coltrane, Todd 'Tucker Jenkins' Carty, and the gorgeous Lysette Anthony), sumptuous scenery, excellent production design, inventive special effects (including one of the most creepy giant spiders in fantasy cinema), and an overall sense of fun mean that it's fairly easy to overlook the clichéd fantasy gobbledegook that passes for a plot and just get on with enjoying the spectacle.And what a great looking film this is too, with the wonderful cinematography not only presenting the sweeping vistas of the stunning locations at their most magnificent, but also making the most of the huge Pinewood sound-stage sets: a fog bound, swampy forest is particularly atmospheric, whilst the surreal, labyrinthine passageways of the (H.R.Geiger-inspired?) Black Fortress are both striking and effectively claustrophobic.In fact, so impressive is the imagery that, for the most part, Yates seems content to let his visuals carry the film: his direction rarely rises above workmanlike, with the action set-pieces in particular being surprisingly lacklustre (check out the risible rock-fall sequence—it's hilarious!).
Although I remember this being liked at the time its one of few fantasy films from the 80's I hadn't seen back then one so this review is based upon a single recent viewing - sorry Krull but you were pretty bad.I would say watch it if you particularly want to see very early roles for Liam Neeson, Robbie Coltrane, Todd Carty but a YouTube clip maybe better than watching the whole film.If the bad guys with laser guns (that shoot out of their swords) just shot from range all the time the good guys would not have stood a chance but fortunately for them though for some in explicable reason these technologically advanced aliens only shoot a few times then close the range and used the guns as swords!
I have been an SF / Fantasy fan since my childhood 40 years ago(remember Time Tunnel?) reading John Christopher novels, then moving up to Tolkien, Bradbury and the Thomas Covenant series.Krull has it all: Princess Vacuous (Lysette Anthony) who succeeds only in looking pretty, but cannot act to sell detergent, Liam Neeson once again proving that even good actors will do anything for screen time or money, cheesy special effects that would not have made the cut for Star Trek in the 60s, badly choreographed action sequences, a villainous monster that looks like a Halloween costume my wife might throw together for a five year old, and tense battle scenes that consist of the Prince stretching out his arm and trying to vary the pained expression on his face for minutes at a time.
I really don't know why this film does not have the recognition it should.OK granted it has a cheesy and cliché plot.A Prince tries to save his princess from the ultimate space evil.And you can find 100 plot holes but...Still...It is an 80s fantasy movie...You just suspend your disbelief a little bit more than usual and that is all you need to enjoy an entertaining movie.Cliché but classical and enjoyable Hero/Chosen one story, AMAZING (AMAZING!!!!) soundtrack,pretty good acting,a few unique characters and the usual 80s atmosphere we all know and love.One can say a lot about the death of aesthetics during the 80s but what movies had back then was atmosphere.Photography ,lighting and cheap but well crafted stages. |
tt0078480 | Watership Down | The story begins with a prologue, narrated by Michael Hordern, establishing the Lapine culture and mythology and describing the creation of the world and its animals by Lord Frith, the sun god. All the animals co-exist peacefully and eat grass together but the rabbits, led by Prince El-ahrairah, quickly multiply and overwhelm the other animals with their insatiable hunger. When Frith warns El-ahrairah to control his people, the prince scoffs at him, claiming that his are the strongest people in the land. In retaliation, Frith gives to each of the other animals a gift, turning them into predators, or 'elil' that hunt and feed on the rabbits. However, Frith also bestows upon the rabbits the gifts of speed and cunning, enabling them a fighting chance against their enemies. All creatures may seek to kill El-ahrairah and his descendants but, with their wits and quickness, the rabbits may survive.The film then transitions to realistic animation and brings us to the English countryside of Sandleford. Fiver (Richard Briers), a young runt rabbit with prophetic abilities, foresees the end of his peaceful rabbit warren during an afternoon grazing, or 'silflay'. He exclaims to his older brother, Hazel (John Hurt), that the field they live on is covered in blood, but Hazel acknowledges the image as a trickery of the sunset. Regardless, he agrees to take Fiver to the Chief Rabbit to see if they can have the warren evacuated. However, the Chief Rabbit (Ralph Richardson) dismisses them, saying that leaving the warren in the height of the mating season is preposterous enough without it being based on a young rabbit's prophecy. Knowing that his brother's visions have always come to light in the past, Hazel helps Fiver gather any rabbits willing to leave the warren and they all sneak away during the night. They are briefly stopped by Captain Holly (John Bennett) of the Owsla, the rabbit police force, but they manage to fight past him. As they leave the safety of the warren, they pass a sign clearly stating that the lands of their home is due for residential development.In all, eight rabbits successfully defect: Fiver, Hazel, ex-Owsla officer Bigwig (Michael Graham Cox), cunning Blackberry (Simon Cadell), small Pipkin (Roy Kinnear), storyteller and runner Dandelion (Richard O'Callaghan), old Silver (Terence Rigby), and the only female, Violet. They travel into the woods and through the night, encountering dangers such as owls and a large badger, or 'lendri'. Their curiosity is aroused when they stumble upon a road and Blackberry explains that 'hrududu' travel on it but have no interest in rabbits. He proves this by sitting still as one of them, a car, approaches and speeds on by. However, the threat of being killed by such wayward creatures is made apparent when Blackberry is nearly hit by another. A bean field provides some shelter and the rabbits are able to rest. Come morning, Fiver wakes to see Violet leave the safety of the plants to feed on grass and watches in horror as a hawk swoops down and carries her off.One less, they move along and come to a creek in time to hear that there's a dog loose in the woods. With the dog on their scent, and Fiver and Pipkin unable to swim, the larger rabbits use a plank of wood to float them across, swimming alongside. They find refuge that night within a crypt in an old cemetery but are set upon by a band of black rats which draws the attention of an owl. The rabbits escape. The following day they meet a friendly, but odd, rabbit named Cowslip (Denholm Elliott) who offers them food and shelter at his warren. The group is grateful for the hospitality they receive and all but Fiver consider remaining at the warren permanently. He senses something terribly wrong and tries to warn the others of it but they refuse to listen. He leaves in a fit, followed by Bigwig who taunts him before suddenly being caught in a snare trap. Bigwig collapses and begins to choke as the others frantically try to dig out the post the snare is attached to. He coughs blood and appears to stop breathing just as the post is removed. The rabbits mourn their loss as Fiver admonishes them: the warren is given food and protection from a nearby farmer who occasionally snares the rabbits as retribution. After this terrifying revelation, Bigwig miraculously recovers and, on Fiver's advice, the band moves on with a new found respect for the seer's wisdom.Eventually, the rabbits come to Nuthanger Farm where Hazel discovers a hutch of female rabbits. Knowing that does will be needed to start a new warren, but deterred by the farm's dog and cat, he promises a young doe named Clover (Mary Maddox) that he will return. As the rabbits move alongside a field, they spot a fox, or 'homba', sniffing out their trail. Bigwig runs out to draw its attention away to the shelter of the woods nearby. The others hear a cry and think Bigwig has been caught but he soon returns and hurries them on, explaining that he ran into a couple of rabbits that tried to stop him despite his warning of the fox. It was presumably one of the rabbits that cried out when the fox caught up.The band continues onward until they find Captain Holly, badly injured and at the brink of death. He briefly recounts the destruction of the Sandleford warren as Fiver predicted, witnessing as the ground was turned up and how he was forced to leave his fellow rabbits within their burrows to suffocate to death by noxious fumes. He mentions a warren called Efrafa before he collapses. Once rested, Fiver leads the group to the place he envisioned, a hill called Watership Down where the rabbits discover empty burrows suitable to live in beneath the shelter of a great tree. They all settle in with Hazel informally recognized as Chief Rabbit. One day, an acerbic seagull crash lands on the warren, his wing injured and leaving him unable to fly. Hazel, seeing the potential of using the gull's skills of flight, offers to help him despite the gull's stubborn pride. Kehaar (Zero Mostel) is allowed to rest at the warren and, as Hazel hoped, notices with disdain the lack of female rabbits and 'chicks'. He berates the rabbits for not keeping a better warren but eagerly agrees to survey the area for females once his wing heals. When he manages to take flight, Hazel opts to return to Nuthanger Farm with two other rabbits to try and free the caged does.Hazel and Blackberry make it to the barn and start chewing away at the hinges to the doe's crate while Dandelion keeps watch. However, he inadvertently alerts the dog and farmer to their presence just as the crate door is broken open. The farmer wrangles up the does as the other rabbits try to escape. Hazel is hit in his hindquarter by shotgun pellets as they flee and Blackberry and Dandelion are forced to leave him behind. They return to the warren to tell Fiver of his brother's demise, sentimentally stating that the Black Rabbit of Inle, 'death', does no more than his appointed task. However, seeing a vision of the Black Rabbit, Fiver claims his brother is not dead and follows the vision to an old pipe where a trail of blood leads to Hazel, his heart still beating.Kehaar returns to Watership Down and helps remove the buckshot pellets from Hazel's hindquarters, using his beak. He speaks of the Efrafa warren nearby which houses many rabbits. Holly pipes up and warns the other rabbits not to go there; it is a dangerous warren ruled tyrannically by a chief named General Woundwort (Harry Andrews). It was Woundwort's Owsla that injured Holly and, were it not for the brave actions of a doe named Hyzenthlay (Hannah Gordon) and the appearance of one of Frith's 'messengers' (a train that cuts down pursuing Owsla), he would never have escaped. Bigwig offers to infiltrate the warren. Arriving at Efrafa as a newcomer wishing to join, he impresses General Woundwort and is offered a familiar spot on the warren's Owsla as an officer with the option of choosing a female for himself. He meets with Hyzenthlay and tells her of his free warren. In time, they recruit other defectors including Blackavar, a rabbit with several bodily scars and bitten ears, severely maimed for his many escape attempts.After meeting with Kehaar and relaying his plans to leave that very night, Bigwig is confronted by General Woundwort who overheard Kehaar's loud calls. Bigwig manages to convince him that their talk was of no concern, though Woundwort remains suspicious. That night, as a thunderstorm approaches, Bigwig takes his band of Efrafans and escapes. However, the ever-vigilant Efrafan Owsla gives chase, led by General Woundwort. A timed attack by Kehaar keeps the General at bay while the rabbits make way for the river. Echoing their earlier use of driftwood, the rabbits leap into a small boat and break off the moor just as the Owsla arrive at the banks. Bigwig and the other defectors safely drift downstream and make their way to Watership Down.However, several days later, their trail is picked up again by Efrafan trackers and General Woundwort vows vengeance on Bigwig. As an unknown to Woundwort, Hazel approaches the Efrafans to negotiate. He offers an alliance of free and independent warrens living peacefully together, but Woundwort casts his intrigue aside and dismisses Hazel, ordering him to tell Bigwig to surrender the defectors. Hazel returns to his warren and instructs all the rabbits to hole up inside their burrows and block the entrances as the Efrafans begin their assault. Panic-stricken, Fiver falls into a trance, moaning as he envisions a 'dog loose in the woods'. His sounds briefly scare the Efrafans and inspires Hazel to formulate a plan. He brings with him the fastest runners; Hyzenthlay, Blackberry, and Dandelion, and they escape the warren. Woundwort orders his Owsla to ignore them, intent on finding Bigwig whom he believes to be the chief rabbit.On their way, Hazel prays to Frith and offers his life in return for the safety of the warren, but Frith replies that it is a bargain he cannot honor. Along the way, he positions each of the rabbits at different intervals until he and Dandelion arrive at Nuthanger Farm. Dandelion exclaims that, if they succeed, theirs will be the greatest story ever told. Hazel assures him that he will be the one to tell it as he makes his way towards the farmer's dog, sleeping in its dog house. Hazel chews away at the dog's leash as Dandelion draws its attention. The dog chases after Dandelion as Hazel is pounced upon by the farmer's cat (Lynn Farleigh). However, the farmer's daughter, Lucy (Michelle Price), orders her cat to let the rabbit alone and Hazel is freed.The dog, meanwhile, is led by the rabbits in relay fashion back to Watership Down as General Woundwort makes his way inside the burrows, fiercely killing Blackavar after he attacks Woundwort in a delaying tactic. In a last ditch effort to protect the warren, Bigwig buries himself beneath the dirt of one of the tunnels and, as Woundwort approaches, lunges out in surprise and attacks him. The rabbits ferociously bite and scratch at each other until they are both bloodied. Woundwort asks why Bigwig won't simply surrender and Bigwig responds that his chief ordered him to protect the warren. Woundwort hesitates, surprised that Bigwig is not chief and imagines that he now has a larger rabbit to reckon with. At that moment, the dog arrives at the warren and begins tearing the Efrafan Owsla apart. They all scream and scatter as Woundwort emerges out of the warren and curses them for their cowardice, claiming that dogs aren't dangerous. He then sees the dog come out from behind the tree, dropping a dead Efrafan from its mouth before it charges towards him. Woundwort fearlessly leaps to confront the dog and it is said that, after this encounter, his body was never found and he wasn't heard from again. His legacy lives on as a story that does tell to their kittens as a way to keep them obedient; that if they misbehave, General Woundwort will get them.In epilogue, an elderly Hazel settles in to silflay when he is visited by a shadowy phantom, revealed as Prince El-ahrairah in the form of the Black Rabbit of Inle. El-ahrairah suggests that Hazel has been feeling tired of late and offers him a place with his Owsla. When Hazel looks back warily on his family at the warren, El-ahrairah assures him that they, and future generations, will be safe. Reassured, Hazel lays down in the grass and peacefully passes away. His spirit leaves his body and follows El-ahrairah through the woodland and into the afterlife."All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies. And whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed." | allegory, violence, cult, atmospheric, psychedelic, romantic | train | imdb | British animated film about a bunch of rabbits leaving their old warren (which one psychic rabbit can tell is going to be destroyed) and searching for a new one.
I recommend reading the book first (also try "Traveler" by Adams, another classic), then purchasing the film, then the soundtrack--wait, better yet, write your Congressman and demand a DVD release.
Both symbolic and blunt, "Watership Down" is a triumph of emotional proportions and is exemplary of what adaptations, animation, scoring and good film-making should be about.
Like Orwell's 'Animal Farm', this isn't only a film for children but equally important for adults.
While not for the very young children (there is a bit of violence and gore), I think any kid 8 or above would really love this film.
Not only did I care about Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig, but I genuinely fell in love with them, and for 100 minutes I was completely absorbed in their strenuous but noble struggle for survival.The film is based upon the 1972 novel of the same name by Richard Adams, and was both adapted and directed by Martin Rosen.
But first they must catch you." The events take place in the English countryside, with the title stemming from a hill at Ecchinswell in the county of Hampshire; despite my initial preconceptions, 'Watership Down' was certainly not the story of a sinking ocean liner!Hazel the rabbit (voiced by John Hurt) may not be physically-imposing, but he is selfless, intelligent and mature, and this makes him a fine leader.
) but that is my one and only criticism of this superb animated adventure which can be enjoyed by anyone of any age In a nut shell WATERSHIP DOWN resembles one of those post apocalypse dramas by John Wyndham or more especially John Christopher except instead of humans it features rabbits that talk .
Of course it could be that the original novel of WATERSHIP DOWN was influenced by Conrad's HEART OF DARKNESS which seems to have influenced much of Alex Garland's work but even so A thoroughly enthralling adventure that may have children weeping at the sad bits will certainly keep adults interested as they try and spot analogies .
This was one of those books I lived in when I first read it, never has Richard Adams come close to what he achieved here, able to pull you the reader right down into the grass roots along with Hazel, Fiver and BigWig. And the animators did him justice...I don't have much to add here that others here haven't, save to say I enjoyed the classic voices used here a lot-from Joss Ackland as the 'Black Rabbit of Inle' to the late, much lamented Harry Andrews as Woundwort.
The music is pure class, the voice talent is remarkable, the animation is charming (as are the characters), the story relevant, witty, humourous, and thought-provoking.Although this is an animated film about a society of rabbits seeking to establish a new warren in unknown lands, "Watership Down" is perhaps not a good film for young children, as the mood can be creepy at times, and there is a bit of violence and blood shed; certainly not in the same mood as, say, "The Secret Of Nimh".After viewing this film, one thing is for sure: you'll never look at rabbits in the same way ever again.Sure delight!.
I finally got around to watching this classic tale about a group of rabbits who are convinced to leave their home after one of their friends has a bloody vision of danger that is about to come their way.This is a not a cutesy, Disney-style animation that sugarcoats the scary nature of the story.
Watership Down is that animated film you'll hear about from a friend- not usually when you're a kid unless you're the kind that hangs around those reading dark British animal novels written by Richard Adams- when you're an older teen or an adult, and that it's not you're garden-variety Disney movie with violent rabbit encounters and an animation approach that is not at all "fluffy" in description.
It's mostly a pure masterpiece of animation, British or otherwise, though for Britain it's an even more significant achievement if only because only a handful of movies made there have made it to the States (not counting Rankin/Bass stuff like the Hobbit, more like the 1950s Animal Farm adaptation).The approach from writer/director/producer Martin Rosen recognizes the source material as something very special; it's very much like one of those memorable books translated to screen without compromise that speaks to either very sophisticated older kids or to open-minded adults.
It's also not for those not ready for a sad story; while it doesn't quite end on a sad note (maybe more bittersweet with a touch of the spiritual in a sense), there's lots of struggle and adversity to face, and it even faces questions that probably mean more coming out of an English mind-set regarding the breaking out of the old guard in times of survival.Basically, it's about two rabbits, Hazel and Fiver, who lead a group of rabbits from their old homestead to a place that will be safe from destruction.
And yet, with Rosen's direction and the work of the animators, it's by a different impulse and mood, the film has the look of a *real* artistic drive- colors are usually (with a couple of exceptions like with that odd sun) very naturalistic, as most of the rabbits are, and because of this there's something going on one doesn't usually see in animated talking animal movies: a sense of the world presented as realistically (or at least honestly) as possible, and then pulsating with humanistic qualities through the characters and their journey.As I mentioned, it's not really for little kids.
When Rosen sticks to his guns and makes it a solid, unflinching story of rabbits out for survival in not-so-merry old England, it's exceptional, and surely one of the best films of the late 70s..
Watership Down's musical score hits you in just the right place to give you Goosebumps!When I returned the rental, I rushed to the Bookstore and bought Richard Adam's other book "The Plague Dogs", which in my opinion was a terrible book because it doesn't get interesting until the very last chapter...but that's a whole different story.Overall of the overall, I give the movie a 8/10.
Made infamous thanks to butchers urging people to buy the stew, not to mention an entire generation of traumatised children there's a lot more to this than just the recycled cliches.What we have is a very English cartoon with lush watercolours and frollicking rabbits making their way across the picturesque countryside after one of the band of rabbits has had a vision of the warrens destruction.Along their journey we are shown issues as ranging from the sadism of cats, to creationism and facism.
It's not really a kids film at all despite being a cartoon, there's plenty of graphic violence, nightmarish undertones and even bad language but it never ends up o.t.t. There's moments in it which can even bring up a lump in the throat of a grown man, which in my case is a rare thing indeed.The animation employed is wonderful, with amazingly realistic movement and hazy water-coloured backdrops Turner would be proud of.
Here, however, British animation reaches its peak.You might want to watch this film for the background animation, from the scenic beauty of the English countryside, painted in stunning watercolor and graphite, to the eerily surreal quality of Fiver's visions and the night scenes, and starting with the first scene dealing with the Rabbit's idea of the Creation, animated seemingly in the style of the Celtic engravings of ancient Britain.
The warm sense of brotherly love displayedby Hazel and Fiver, the nightmarish display of the warren's destruction, theraucous voice of Kehaar, the final battle between Bigwig and GeneralWoundwort, the witch-like voice of the Cat, and the incredibly powerfulsequence of Hazel's death, this movie is pure English, and all you British-film lovers must see this and gather your own opinion..
Animated films (I say animated because "cartoon" would be an insult) this good rarely come along.Excellent animation for the time (bare in mind this is 1978) and superb voice acting.Children may appreciate this film, but it might be mildly disturbing to them as well, especially the scenes of the rabbits being mauled.
I enjoy the older style of movies, especially animated ones.I noticed one good thing in this film was that you could tell each characters personality just like the ones in the book.
I hate how most people think that because its animated its for a child, But in this case I wouldn't recommend it to a child under the age of 10.I wouldn't say there is any thing bad about this movie, But I have noticed I CAN'T FIND IT LIKE ANYWHERE.
I highly recommend this film to adults and children alike, although, personally, I've never seen it as being a "kid's" movie - it's not, believe me..
"Watership Down " it's a great animated adaptation of the book of Richard Adams : even when the characters are talking animals ,it seems that it was aimed to a more mature audience , because this definitely isn't something like "Bambi " .But not for that is bad ,actually it is pretty good and faithful to the book ,even in the parts of emotional intensity nor mild violence .
Some of England's finest actors provide the voices for the rabbits (John Hurt, Denholm Elliot, Richard Briers and the late Sir Ralph Richardson).The film is also backed up by an utterly superlative soundtrack featuring a haunting instrumental score by Angela Morley, and of course the unforgettable soul-wrenching theme Bright Eyes written by Mike Batt and sung by Art Garfunkel.
Even though classified as a U, I strongly advise parents to watch with young children, as there are some powerful sequences that will make them exceptionally upset, though this is a film that all children (and adults if they have not seen it) should watch.All in all, this is a remarkable film, which not only portrays the ruthlessness of animal life, and in particular of Britain's beloved animal, the Rabbit - but it is also a continual parallel of the human world.
They had many human traits such as love, respect, mourning, etc.The score combined with the pastel-like style of the movie makes it an engrossing experience that you'll want to watch more than once.
Well, it's not at bad film, I like the animation, and it tells a pretty gripping story.
I also like how it incorporates the lapine language in a way that comes natural.But then again, the film does fail in making the characters from the book come truly alive on the screen, and it also fails at telling the fable about human nature that Richard Adams wants to tell.I know that a film can never be entirely true to a book, some cuts and changes must be made.
I wouldn't really hesitate to show it to a child more than 8 years old, and kids these days watch horror movies like Saw and A Nightmare On Elm Street anyway.
You can totally relate to each character and the storyline is incredibly mature and adult for a children's cartoon.I admit my childhood love for this film makes my opinion bias, and that only other people like myself will agree with my highly complementing review, yet if you have only recently discovered this film, believe me it's still brilliant!
The animated film was called, Watership Down.The movie is based on the book by the same name where a group of Rabbits flee there home to find a new one because one of the rabbits, Fiver, get's a vision where there warren will be destroyed.The film has some great animation it's like watercolor paint come to life and John Hurt(Who provided the voice of Snitter from, The Plague Dogs) does a good job as, Hazel.
'Watership Down' is a film that made a great impression on me throughout my childhood, and even today still ranks as my personal choice for the best non-Disney animated feature of all time; in fact, aside from the really exceptional cases like 'Bambi' and 'Fantasia', you could even say that it beats the cream out of most of Disney's output (particularly those that were being churned out around the time that this one arrived on the scene, which simply cannot stand comparison to it).
The music in this movie is completely entrancing, something which always stands out about it - a nice mixture of emotive melodies that accompany their pertaining moments in the story just perfectly, along with 'Bright Eyes', a beautiful little song that I have never since forgotten (and I dare you not to get dewy-eyed during the sequence where it plays).As an adaptation of a classic piece of reading, it doesn't fare too badly - the original story naturally had to be abridged considerably to suit the running time, and there are a handful of details that feel rather glossed over, but nonetheless, it gets enough right in all the important places to both do justice to the book and succeed as a brilliant movie on merits of its own.
Within the time it has, it manages to convey a great deal of character and depth, and defines each individual rabbit's personality very ably - the self-assured Bigwig's growing sense of respect for both Hazel and Fiver is especially well-woven into the story, and gives their interaction a lot of essence.The animation quality can be a little uneven at times (breathtaking one moment, slightly sketchy the next), but overall reflects a rougher, more realistic style that keeps it from ever becoming too cute or cuddly (a la Disney).
Some viewers have commented that the majority of Efrafan rabbits look so similar that it gets rather hard to tell them apart, which is true, but I personally feel that this is very effective in highlighting the lack of independence and individuality that most of them had amongst their ranks, contrasting with Hazel's group where everyone is respected and free.Above all, I applaud it for refusing to succumb to the Disney formula, which had been far too influential on most other animated features for decades beforehand and would continue to be so for some years to come.
It's one of the things that made 'Watership Down' such an outstanding piece of animation and why it still feels like such a one-of-a-kind film to this day - it wasn't afraid just to do its own thing, and people had seen very few like it before at the time; a serious and very mature kind of cartoon that remains truthful to the dark and turbulent spirit of the book.
There are times when this movie can become very bleak indeed, and as a very little kid I remember having a tough time trying to swallow a lot of the imagery - some of the sequences, including Fiver's vision of the field being 'covered with blood' and most of the traumatised Holly's flashbacks, are downright disturbing, and one key reason why this movie would probably be better appreciated by older kids and adults.But it's more than just a depression-fest, and the trials these rabbits must endure only bring you to appreciate their well-earned triumphs all the more.
As far as "I" am concerned the cartoons of today, just don't have "it" I love the characters of Watership Down, and it's been my favorite movie since I can remember...Everyone has a friend or family member that can compare to the characters, and the animation is so fluid for the technology of the time.
If you have seen any animated Walt Disney movies, you know what formula to expect: badguy, catchy songs, cute amorphous sidekick, happy resolution, and a real lack of any thorough-going artistic integrity (even in classics like "Mulan" or "Beauty and the Beast").
See this film, and let your kids watch it, for the timeless animation, its under-stated lyrical beauty, and the haunting theme song.
I'm sure it helped a lot that I like things grim and dark.This film being very little known in my parts (I've never even once seen this shown on television) it made me think of 'The Animals of Farthing Wood' ever since I first heard of it, and this still seems like an apt comparison to me.
I haven't seen that series in, like, 15 years so I can't confidently compare the two but I doubt it had even remotely the bravura of "Watership" which has unusually fast editing for an animated film and overall it seems quite intuitively put together, closer to a live-action movie rather than an animated one..
I watched Watership down as an 8 year old and all I saw was rabbits and bunch of pretty animations with a climatic ending.
This movie which is based on Richard Adams' novel is a film which can be enjoyed by adults and kids.
This movie needed that but decided to cookie cut most of the story.I don't mean to tarnish the films name but after reading the book I feel it necessary.
I have heard a lot of good things about this film, but I think I would have appreciated it much more if I watched it as a child, and it probably has a nastalgic feel to it too.
While this is no film for a five year old, it shows a rabbit's true way of life.
Until one rabbit discovers something that changes a certain group of rabbits' lives forever.As they set off to find a suitable place to live, they encounter deaths, blood, enemies and allies, proving that a rabbit's life isn't all it's cracked up to be.While this film is no where near as brilliant as Richard's novel, this movie is most likely less suitable for your child/children.
I highly recommend reading the book to anyone under eight.The animations are simply beautiful in this film. |
tt0080768 | Fukkatsu no hi | A film that describes the development of a deadly Virus weapons system by the USA Military during the height of the Cold War epoch during the early 1980's.
A small group of multinational scientists stuck in the Antarctic learn to survive after a human engineered virus knocks out most of earth's population.
The film begins in East Germany where a scientist has been bribed by American agents to provide a sample of the deadly virus developed by the East German government for a reward of 50,000 pounds. Suddenly East German soldiers break into the clandestine meeting and shoot the German scientist but the CIA agents manage to escape in a plane. Unfortunately the plane crashes into the side of a mountain during a violent storm and the deadly virus, called CX114 which is contained in an air tight flask is released when the flask breaks against the side of the mountain. The Virus is highly potent and is spread atmospherically and soon the whole world is infected starting with Siberia, Tokyo, London, Rome and New York as the film shows staggering death tolls for each city.
The action continues a few months later at an American Pathology Laboratory when Colonel Rankin of the US military asks one of the scientists that developed CX114 as to its properties. The scientist remarks to the Colonel that it is a terrifying doomsday weapon as its rate of reproduction the rate at which it multiples reaches astronomical proportions when above the tempertaure of about 5 degrees Celsius.
The scientist accuses Colonel Rankin of making yet another Doomsday wepaon and screams, "How much is enough for you people! We already have enough nuclear weapons to turn the rubble into rubble!"
Colonel Rankin storms out disgusted and has the scientist committed into a mental institution to prevent him from blowing the whistle to the US Senate Oversight Committee for Weapons Development and Research.
The action shifts to the Oval Office where the President, [played by the late Glen Ford] and with a Senator [played by Robert Vaughn] are watching the cataclysmic events across the world as the Virus Spreads. It has been called the "Italian flu" by the media but it is really CX114.
Suddenly General Garland bursts into the Oval Office. He is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the head of the USA military. He demands that the President activate the ARS. An abbreviation for the 'Automatic Reaction System' of the US Strategic Nuclear Triad that will respond to any Soviet Nuclear threat against the West even if the entire hierarchy is dead. Remember that this film was made in 1980 and the Cold War was very much in full swing.
The President says he will think about it while the senator, played by Robert Vaughn, says it is madness and there is no need as the crisis is a medical one and not a military threat. However, General Garland insists when Colonel Rankin walks in already showing the signs of the Virus infection.
The film continues as the President eventually finds out what Colonel Rankin did to the scientist, who, when released from the mental asylum, tells the President the real story of how the Virus has spread. The movie then turns mostly to the Japanese scientists and shows how a few Americans and a UK Nuclear Submarine captained by the late Chuck Connors, make it to Antartica, where due to the cold tempertarues the Virus cannot multiply and reap its destruction. Only about 800 people in the entire world survive as General Rankin activates the ARS which is set off by an earthquake in the capital Washington and not any Soviet attack, thus blasting the entire world with Nuclear Armaggedon as the Soviets respond with their nukes, finishing off what is left of the population that managed to survive the Virus.
Overall a good action post-apocalyptic film with fine performances from Glen Ford and Robert Vaughan as well as Olivia Hussey, Chuck Connors and George Kennedy. | romantic | train | imdb | I have always loved this movie since I first saw it in the eighties but have been stuck with the shorter (105 or 115 minute)American versions.
As is the case with most Japanese movies edited for America, from Gojira to the present, they have a tendency to take out the poignant parts and edit so that some of the original plot points are completely lost.
One time, she made her way to the set to watch a scene being filmed and said "hello." She was a breathtakingly beautiful woman, famous for being in Zefirelli's "Romeo and Juliet." This, I'll never forget ( and no disrespect intended): Local Toronto actor Ara Hovanessian was cast in a small part.
I enjoyed the way this movie explores the real-life consequences of such catastrophic events, such as what happens when eight women are shared between hundreds of men, and at some point I'll track down the full uncut version, which I suspect will be even better.
I didn't seem to care at first because it was in Japanese and I don't understand it, but somehow I didn't turn the channel cause the film suddenly showed me these actors like Robert Vaughn in the White House.
But several actors like Ken Ogata (of MISHIMA fame) and Sonny Chiba still had little to do in the long version of this film.
Firstly let me say that this review is based on the full uncut 156 minute version of the movie.After watching this I can see why it was a financial failure when it was released and did not get more publicity.
Just too close to the truth of what has happened on a smaller scale more than once.Ironic that a virus created by the US that kills almost everyone gets labeled Italian Flu. Do some real research of Spanish Flu that killed millions and you will know what I mean.This is a movie full of big name actors of the time, but you need to see the uncut 156 minute version to do it justice.
All of the big names perform their roles well and while being very bleak the movies gets the story across with appropriate use of subtitles.Do not expect high end CGI or special effects, there are none, just a well put together movie that IMHO stands the test and is worth seeing some 35+ years later.Probably one of the best Armageddon movies you will see if you are prepared to sit thought it.
I just purchased a used copy of the Sonny Chilba Action Pack which includes the uncut Japanese 156m version of the film.
The cut Japanese scenes bring a better viewing experience to fans of this film like me.
all over Japan in 1980,the 1st release of this movie .The Japanese publishing Tycoon Haruki Kadokawa produced several movies and did big success at that time.This is his 1st attempt to international market with some familiar American faces.I've heard several good comments on director Kinji Fukasaku in these days,but we know this is also what he made even if the production was under the influences of tycoon Kadokawa(He also plays one Japanese in Arctic basement).
I saw this 150m.version on satellite Hi-Vision-TV recently, and found out my instinct was right.Top-quality print and Dolby sound don't save this total disaster.Directing is poor, dialogs are ridiculous(even on original Japanese tongue).
These good actors(including US cast) act like hell.Chuck Connors plays British?
Their roles as just little as on 108m-US print.Such big guys like George Kennedy and Bo Svenson and Chuck Connors are chosen only for they are taller and bigger than Masao Kusakari(He's quite tall guy as Japanese).Because they have to treat Kusakari as small and powerless kid as on novel and script.
The film, starring an international cast, isn't your typical Hollywood fare, and they would probably never make a film like this in the disaster genre.The film obviously doesn't have the budget of a Hollywood movie, but Fukasaku makes up for this in terms of plot and performances by the actors.
Considering that he is meant to be the President, this is a major thing in the film, but Fukasaku plays everything downbeat.If this was an American movie, it would have the Americans saving the world from the virus of the title.
Instead the virus wipes out almost the entire population of the world with only around a thousand people left alive.The film has some recognisable faces from American cinema such as George Kennedy who seems to have starred in all the disaster movies that were going.
The film casting is a little silly in parts in terms of casting people like Chuck Conners as a British Naval Captain, but this is only a minor fault.The only drawback that I can find is that the version I watched seems to be heavily edited from the original running time.
Also missing are some performances such as Sonny Chiba's character, who I only noticed once in the films complete running time, which is a shame as he is one of Japans biggest stars..
The American version I did get my hands on was pretty good on it's own....(read more) This is not really a movie about saving the world so much as surviving the numerous apocalypses the world can throw at you, even after the entire world population dies at the hands of a super virus, those surviving in Artic research stations(the virus cannot survive the cold) some 8880 men and 8 women(the scene where the women address how 1 on 1 "relationships" are going to be impossible, is one of the most genuine, poignant, and unique in the film, the Apocalypse doesn't hit home till you realize there's 8000 horny scientists, crawling over each other to play Adam and eve, those not-if-you-were- the-last-man-on-earth scenarios horribly reversed.), still have to deal with the fact that both the Russian and American automatic nuclear missile systems are still in operation, and a coming earthquake is liable to force them to launch, one of which is pointed at the Antartic research station.
A lot of the save the world stuff takes place in the last 20 minutes, the rest is all death and survival.This was at the time of it's release the most expensive Japanese film ever made, and it shows, as we get scenes from Germany, Japan, America, and yes the Antartic, real submarines too.
So I don't know how to give an accurate review, this movie as it is at the 108 minutes I saw it, was decent with a fair serving of 80's cheese, I have a feeling though with a little more time, this might have felt as epic and grand as it intimates in it's best moments.
"Virus" is also a terrible title for this film as well, which has little to do with virus', or bacteriology, it's a good global destruction movie, "The End" is a much better fitting moniker.
"Virus" is a prestigious and massive international co-production that is guaranteed to leave some sort of positive impression on you, whether because of its unique gimmick of destroying planet Earth twice in one movie, the grim and overall very nihilistic tone of the film or simply because it gathers an unlikely all-star cast of versatile nationalities.
Everyone else claims the full & original version of 155 minutes is the only real deal, but personally I won't make any further efforts to track that one down because the shorter version already astonished me enough and I'm not big supporter of long (horror/Sci-Fi) movies anyway.
Some really awesome names were involved in this production, often just to nonchalantly through the screen and disappear again, like Sonny Chiba, Bo Svenson, Edward James Olmos, Glenn Ford, Robert Vaughn, Henry Silva and the indescribably beautiful as always Olivia Hussey.
VIRUS (1980) does illustrate the effects of a global catastrophe in frightening levels, yet despite the big budget of a Japanese movie, it lacks the kind of rage that we must strongly accept.
(however, take note, his long and varied career also included the sublimely silly 'The Green Slime'...) Now the DVD I watched was the short American version with over 45 minutes(!) of material cut out, including I think Sonny Chiba, who I don't recall seeing in it at all.
One would think it would be close to impossible to be able to make a boring movie about the destruction of civilization (apart from a few hundred survivors), a story which includes not only an unstoppable lethal virus but also the threat of global nuclear annihilation, but here it is folks.
Look, maybe the full Japanese version of 'Virus' is something special, but I really fail to see how.
The little known, seldom heard of film known here as 'Virus' hit the UK shores on DVD in my local supermarket bargain bin for the grand total of three quid.I took a chance and bought it
..Actually this is surprisingly a very good story with an impressive cast list that must have been desperate for the cash although Chuck Connors as a British Royal Navy Captain does take a bit of getting used to!
The story line is a well thought out scenario carefully planned and I am wondering what extra interest lurked in the reportedly missing 40 or so minutes of the full Japanese edit.It was a pity therefore that this effectively straight to video effort was let down by some really bad editing, poor picture quality, duff soundtrack, too many stock images of icebergs and cities and an occasional bit of duff dialogue.It does however keep running along nicely and unlike many examples of this genre, avoids getting bogged down in unnecessary scenes or throwaway dialogue with the possible exception of the rather bizarre ending.With a bit of rewriting, some careful cast choices and a decent budget as well as modern effects, this excellent story could be remade to a standard of excellence that would put many of the big budget CGI laden super thrillers that seem to clog up cinemas these days to shame.Now, is there a movie mogul prepared to take the gamble and put his cash on the line to give this story the proper treatment it deserves?.
get original version.or you can watch it online at stagevu type in Virus aka Day Of Resurrection 1980.the USA version sucks balls chop up a good movie cause they can.i seen USA verson when i was 12 liked it but i could tell stuff was cut out lastnite finally seen the original version and it was a lot better.
In any case, "Virus" is a pretty good apocalyptic thriller--the opening 30 minutes in Washington, DC were especially gripping, and the subsequent action at an Antarctic outpost (where remaining world officials are holing up) was fittingly bleak (not to mention talky at times).
The film contains an impressive cast of pseudo-familiar faces (Glenn Ford, George Kennedy, Chuck Connors, Olivia Hussey, etc.) that sell the story due to their 'every(wo)man' appearance.
The version I had was in pretty good shape and runs around 110 minutes (which I think is still a little short of complete).
To make matters worse, this two and a half hour epic was badly butchered by American distributors, who cut roughly 45 minutes out of the film.A plane crash in the Alps gets the grimly serious plot ball rolling with an electrifying bang, unleashing the East German conceived MM-88 virus, a highly dangerous, contagious and impossible to curtail mutant DNA strain designed for chemical warfare purposes which both mimics the symptoms and exacerbates the severity of other more common and controllable sicknesses.
Alas, there's still a dire threat to be found from a fully operative doomsday device activated by a hawkish US general (ripely overplayed to the fire-breathing hilt by Henry Silva), which will be set off by an impending earthquake and destroy the few remnants of human life on this planet in an infernal blaze of nuclear holocaust glory unless it's shut off in time.Director Kinji Fukasaku, who also graced us with "The Green Slime," "Message from Space," and both "Battle Royale" films, builds on the heart-crushingly grave, uncompromisingly dark and downbeat tone with terrifyingly effective results, skillfully creating and sustaining a fiercely dour, distressing and disturbing all-hope-is-lost sensibility that's equally fatalistic and nihilistic in its depressing implications on mankind's self-destructive warmonger nature and desperate desire to keep on going in the absolute worst of situations.
The performances are uniformly superlative: Glenn Ford as the stalwart, pragmatic president, Robert Vaughn as a regretful senator, Chuck Connors as a steely, intrepid British naval submarine captain, Olivia Hussey as a resilient pregnant woman, Sonny Chiba as a South Pole base commander, Bo Svenson and Masao Kusakari as a dynamic pair of mighty fighting men who go into action to prevent a second catastrophe, Cecil Linder as a diligent doctor, Edward James Olmos as a hot-tempered Latino country leader, and George Kennedy as the fatherly admiral in charge of the Artic base all essay their roles with laudable conviction.
Movies that depict disasters are plentiful so if you have time to view only one chose Virus (Fukkatsu no hi).
The international cast adds to the flavor of the film.In a world where governments try to stay ahead of each other in developing weapons (armament and biological), Virus gives us a look at a situation that could happen in our lifetime.The above reasons are why I rated it 8 out of 10.
I came across "Virus" on DVD at the dollar store recently, and though I'd never heard of it, a quick look at IMDb revealed that the film had a pretty decent rating so I risked a buck on it.
After further research I learned that there are several different cuts of this movie available and that the DVD I purchased is in fact the shorter U.S. cut, which is missing almost an hour of footage (mainly featuring the Japanese characters and their back stories).
Despite that, I still found "Virus" to be a pretty entertaining (if a bit depressing) film and I'm interested in tracking down a copy of the "true" version of the film.Apparently "Virus" was the most expensive film made by a Japanese company at the time of its release (1980), featuring a large cast of both Japanese and Western actors.
The American cast (who are featured more prominently in the cut I saw) are all genre stalwarts who appeared in a lot of similar disaster films around this same time period -- Glenn Ford as the President of the United States, Robert Vaughn as his Senatorial foil, Henry Silva as a crazed Army general, and so on.
(Perhaps the Japanese producers figured "Screw it, we're just going to dub over him with a Japanese actor anyway.") It does tend to be a bit talky, could've used some more action scenes, and obviously its Cold War era politics are now out of date, but overall "Virus" was a pretty decent little end-of-the-world/apocalypse saga.As the movie opens, some cloak-and-dagger types meet in an East German hideaway and exchange a vial of a new biological weapon known as MM-88.
VIRUS is a film I first saw in the early 1980s and didn't think too much of it at the time .
That and the fact it's a Japanese film and we all know how the Japanese feel about nuclear missiles especially when they're being pointed by Americans Actually this is the confusing bit .
Had the movie been a hit, it would barely have been out of the theaters before it was out of date.The third serious mistake was casting actors well known for action films.
After all, this movie was made nearly ten years after "The Andromeda Strain." However, the most laughably absurd element is expecting us to believe the Japanese scientist could escape on foot from "ground zero" of an all-out nuclear war and find, several thousand miles later, a colony of two dozen or so people, when he hasn't a clue where they are going to settle.
This is a matter-of-fact tale of the apocalypse, showing what would really happen if a killer virus was unleashed upon the world's unsuspecting population.The Japanese production values are top notch and in particular the post-apocalypse sequences are expertly staged: a desolate world indeed is built up after the calamity that unfolds.
This is a matter-of-fact tale of the apocalypse, showing what would really happen if a killer virus was unleashed upon the world's unsuspecting population.The Japanese production values are top notch and in particular the post-apocalypse sequences are expertly staged: a desolate world indeed is built up after the calamity that unfolds.
Following in the best 'disaster film' traditions, an all-star American cast delivers the goods, from a particularly affecting Glenn Ford as the doomed president to Robert Vaughn as his trustworthy adviser and Henry Silva as a war-mongering general.
Following in the best 'disaster film' traditions, an all-star American cast delivers the goods, from a particularly affecting Glenn Ford as the doomed president to Robert Vaughn as his trustworthy adviser and Henry Silva as a war-mongering general.
Add in Olivia Hussey, George Kennedy, Edward James Olmos, tough guy Bo Svenson and even a cameoing Sonny Chiba and you have pretty much the movie-lover's dream cast.Of course, given that this is in reality a Japanese film, the acting honours really go to Masao Kusakari, playing an ordinary-guy scientist who undergoes tremendous ordeals and feats of bravery by the time the film ends.
Add in Olivia Hussey, George Kennedy, Edward James Olmos, tough guy Bo Svenson and even a cameoing Sonny Chiba and you have pretty much the movie-lover's dream cast.Of course, given that this is in reality a Japanese film, the acting honours really go to Masao Kusakari, playing an ordinary-guy scientist who undergoes tremendous ordeals and feats of bravery by the time the film ends.
At the end of the movie, the main character comes in a church (presumed in South America) and has a mute conversation (subtitled in Japanese) with a Christ in a dropped cross, and with two corpses. |
tt0429573 | An American Haunting | This synopsis is from the UNRATED VERSION.A girl (Jane Powell) (Isabelle Almgren-Doré) is running through snowy woods near her house in Boston, Massachusetts. Something unseen is chasing her. She approaches the house and tries to open a double door. It opens and she rushes in, closing it and an inner door which she latches shut. She looks around, picking up a letter opener and leaves the room. The door is forced open by the unseen force. She runs upstairs into her bedroom, bolting the door. The doorknob is rattled as the unseen tries to get in. The noise stops and there is silence. The girl cautiously approaches the door when suddenly the ghostly image of a girl (Betsy Bell) (Rachel Hurd-Wood) appears beside her. She screams and at that moment awakens from a dream, sitting up in bed in hysterics. She is comforted by her mother (Elizabeth Powell) (Susan Almgren) who tells her she had a bad dream again. She suggests a nice warm bath, which is rejected by Jane, saying maybe later. The mother tells her she must get ready to be picked up by her father (David Powell) (Howard Rosenstein) for the weekend. She acknowledges this. Elizabeth picks up some clothes from the floor, noticing a bundle of old things which she asks Jane about. Telling her mother they are from the attic, Jane is told you know the attic is off-limits. Jane apologizes and is told just dont do it again as the mother exits. Jane goes into a fetal position on her bed.Elizabeth goes into the study carrying the old doll and things from the attic. Pouring herself a drink from a vodka bottle, she looks painfully at a family photo that includes her, Jane and her ex-husband David. She picks up the doll (having a cracked face) and says to it I know how you feel. Picking up an envelope marked The truth of our family history, she removes the paper from it and begins reading November 1848. I had hoped no one would ever find cause to open this letter. If you have, I must assume that unexplainable or even supernatural events have begun to occur. The story of the Bell Witch has always been considered to be a tall tale. This is not so. Please read this journal with great care. Its contents may save your life. At this point a flashback shows Betsy being chased by Joshua Gardner (Howard Rosenstein) who tries to kiss her after she falls on the ground. She tells him no. The other girl, Theny Thorn (Zoe Thorne) tells him leave that young lady alone. The two girls run off together giggling. Theny asks did he try to kiss you again?The Bell family home is shown in winter stating Red River, Tennessee 1817. Lucy Bell (Sissy Spacek) brings in folded clothing as Betsy sits brushing her hair staring into the mirror. She tells her daughter that she should be nicer to Joshua. A woman should always keep a man on his toes, says Betsy. Isnt that what you taught me? I taught you no such thing, replies her mother. Lucy tells Betsy to lighten up on Joshua and to do her schoolwork.James Johnston (Matthew Marsh) and his wife arrive at a party at the Bell house. They enter into a room full of people as John Bell (Donald Sutherland) is telling a group of men about James and his experiences while drunk. He approaches them as John says speak of the devil. Theny prepares mistletoe on a stick to hang over the head of the teacher Richard Powell (James D'Arcy) so that Betsy can try to get a kiss from him. Her father John tells her it is inappropriate for a student to force her teacher into a compromising position. She insists that it is a Christmas tradition and that she is trying to learn the customs. Richard suggests a dance instead and they go off. James asks Lucy for a dance.Later that night Lucy is awakened by the sound of crying. Getting up, she notices John is not in bed. Lighting a candle, she goes to check on the boys, who are sound asleep. As she turns to go upstairs, John puts a hand on her shoulder, startling her. She tells him she heard noises from the roof. He tells her it comes from the attic and that it is not squirrels. This is not the first time they heard crying at night. He tells his wife you sleep so soundly, you never hear me get out of bed. She says yes I do and asks him what it was. He says its maybe the old witch trying to scare me off from the hearing tomorrow. Meanwhile something unseen opens the door to Betsys room and approaches her. Heavy breathing is heard, but Betsy appears to be asleep.The next day at the church a hearing is made between Kathe Batts (Gaye Brown) who some say is a witch and John Bell. The fighting is over some land which adjoins the Bell property. John tells the court he gave her $100 and the use of his slave in compensation. The judge (Vernon Dobtcheff) rules that the land is returned to Batts but the profit made from sale of the timber belongs to John. John is judged to have committed usury which is against church law (He charged her 20% on the loan). The witch turns back as they are leaving and tells John to enjoy his family, land and good health. She says a dark dread will fall upon him and especially his daughter Betsy.The following year John is out hunting with his son John Jr. (Thom Fell) and James. When a deer is seen running through the brush, the three men separate. Seeing a black wolf charging at him, John fires. The wolf vanishes. As John kneels he sees the wolf charging at him again, but then suddenly his son is seen standing there where the wolf was. John Jr. tells his father we got him. John asks the wolf? His son replies Wolf? We shot a deer. Come see it , father.That night a wolf is heard outside. John and his son go out to look for it. The wolf is seen charging toward them and both men fire at it. Lucy is awakened by the shots and gets out of bed. Betsy also goes to her window and looks out, seeing the wolf below. Closing the window, she gets back in bed and pulls the covers up just below her eyes. The sounds of a wolf are heard in the room. Suddenly the windows burst open and more growling sounds are heard and footsteps. Looking under her bed, she sees two eyes looking back and cries out. Her mother, having been called by the two younger sons, comes into her room and asks about what she heard. Betsy tells her something is in her room. Lucy says the windows are open and goes to close them. Betsy stops her, saying there is something in the room. Lucy tells her there is no one there, suggesting that it was mice. She tells her to go with her to get her brothers. As they go downstairs a shot is fired by James Jr. (who is firing at the wolf), shattering glass in the door.
The door opens and the two men enter. Lucy and the children go back upstairs. A conversation between Lucy and John over the shot fired through the door is simplified by John who says it was accidental. He confesses that he is unable to get Kathe Batts out of his mind. His wife tells him there is nothing else that can be done since the church ruled on the matter. Hearing this, Betsy retires to her room and covers up. Strange noises are heard in the room.Next day at school Betsy is found to be asleep. Richard dismisses the class for physical activity outside and asks Betsy if she is all right. She tells him she is tired, not being able to sleep at home because of strange noises. The children play games outside and Betsy goes to the swing and begins swinging. Next a small girl appears and swings next to her. Betsy notices and the girl holds out her hand. Betsy touches the hand of the girl, which turns black and disappears. Betsy falls to the ground and is assisted by Joshua and Theny, who insist they saw no girl in the other swing. Crying, Betsy runs off. Richard observes all this from the window.That night John is out with his gun and lantern again when he sees the ghostly image of Betsy. It vanishes immediately and John turns back toward the house. Seeing a dark figure on the roof, John prepares to fire at it, but it disappears. Meanwhile Betsy is sleeping but is awakened as the covers are pulled down on her. She pulls the cover up again. Again the covers are pulled slowly down and Betsy pulls them up again. Suddenly the covers are violently pulled off her and she jumps up to try to leave the room. Her door closes and prevents her from going out. Heavy breathing is heard as Betsy gets back in the bed. The indentation of a body appears on the bed beside her and an attack begins. A strand of her hair is pulled out and seen on the bed next to her. Betsys screams and fighting draws her mother, father and brother into her room. Immediately the attack ends and she is comforted by her mother who tells her it was just a bad dream. Outside her room, John tells Lucy he thinks Batts may have sent a slave to terrorize them. When the lock of hair is found on the floor by Lucy, John swears he will get revenge against Batts for harming his daughter. He goes off with the gun but is coaxed out of it by Lucy.Next James is seen meeting with the Bell family as they sit around the table discussing Johns predicament. James tells them that reading a few Scripture passages should ward off the demon. After the reading is concluded, he leads them in a spoken prayer to cast out the demon from the house. They all join hands and repeat the prayer three times, after which James says by midnight if nothing happens they should be safe. Betsy goes to bed but is suddenly attacked again, this time more violently. She is dragged by her hair, lifted up into the air and repeatedly slapped on each cheek. Her cries draw Lucy, John, James and James Jr. who try to enter her door but are unable to. Finally the three people force open the door and witness Betsy being held in mid-air and being struck. James orders the demon to leave and it stops the attack, facing each person in the room with heavy breathing. Lucy holds and comforts her daughter.As James has a drink for his nerves, John tells him he saw a man on the property recently but couldnt tell who it was. James suggests maybe Richard, the teacher, who lives nearby. In bed together are seen Lucy and Betsy with the two young boys in between.At the school house James and John are discussing the situation with Richard, who doesnt believe in demons. The teacher tries to explain what happened with logical suggestions, which are refused by James, John and John Jr. Richard offers to come stay in the house to prove nothing will happen.At school the next day Betsy is seen still sleeping at her desk. When class is dismissed, Joshua tries to wake her, telling her that they have to go to the river to do what they have been planning. She tells him no, saying she doesnt feel like doing it. When he tries to pull her up, she violently pushes him away, saying to leave her alone. Everyone sees this in the room. As the students leave, Richard tells Betsy that this will pass. Sitting by a tree, Betsy is seen crying and recalling her attacks and wondering why.Later Betsy looks from her window and sees Joshua kissing Theny. He looks upset and turns to her bed where her journal turns pages to expose the word Remember. Remember what? she asks. She angrily throws the book aside and lies down with her doll.That night something is seen approaching the house, going inside past where the men are playing checkers and upstairs, passing where Richard is camped out on the floor just outside Betsys room. The door opens as Lucy reaches the top of the stairs and looks in. Betsy is seen in bed covered up. As her mother continues watching, the covers are pulled down off Betsy. She is attacked again, violently and appears to be being raped. Lucy and Richard watch with Richard holding the mother back, saying no. John asks what is happening and comes upstairs, telling Richard that he should not be witnessing this. He is knocked back and the door slammed. The door opens again and Lucy looks in to see Betsy sleeping under cover as before.Next John is seen in bed tended to by Lucy and Chloe (Miquel Brown), who recommends a poultice of roots that should remain until morning. Richard says he believes Betsy is tormented by violent nightmares, which the others deny, saying something evil is at work. Suddenly a cross is taken from the wall and thrown across the room. Candles and the fireplace are all extinguished as everyone panics. John Jr. calls out the demon and tells it to show itself. Richard asks if it is Betsy. James begins reading from the Bible again, trying to cast the demon out. Richard tells James to stop. Finally the Bible is taken from his hands, thrown across the room and then a number of pages torn out and flying through the air. Speaking to the demon, Richard asks if it knows the book from which James is reading. James assures him the demon knows Scripture. Richard asks if it is from the Gospel of Matthew. Scraping noises are heard. Is it from the Gospel of Mark he asks? More scraping noises. Is it a Psalm of David? More scraping, followed by a window bursting open. Lucy cries out to Richard, saying are we all imagining a nightmare now?John is seen getting out of bed after feeling something on his tongue. He goes to the dresser to look, getting a hand mirror from the drawer and sitting down. As he looks at his tongue, he sees welts on it and is shocked. The mirror falls to the floor and shatters. John feels of his tongue again, which is shown normal. As he looks in the mirror on the dresser, he sees the ghostly image of Betsy, which is suddenly replaced by Lucy. He tells her that he made the mess and he will clean it. Lucy begins sweeping up the broken glass. The family is then seen cleaning up after the ghostly attacks in the living room. There is a knock at the door. Lucy tells their servant Anky (Shauna Shim) to answer it. At the door is a slave from Batts, who says he is delivering something from her. She brings it inside, telling Lucy it came from Batts. Lucy refuses it, saying its something from Batts but is told it belongs to the Bells. Finally the bag is emptied out on a table and shown to be clothes. One nightgown bearing a blood stain is said to belong to Betsy while another one is said to be Johns shirt which has been missing for a year. Chloe explains that a witch may put animal blood on someones clothing which spells death. Enraged, Lucy takes the clothes and tries to put them in the fireplace. Chloe stops her, saying that will make it worse. The devil will come in.Next day the children are playing ball in the schoolyard as Betsy sits and watches. When Joshua kicks the ball into the forest, Betsy goes to retrieve it. As she bends to pick up the ball, the hand of the little girl appears and gets the ball. She disappears, then reappears and leaves with the ball. Betsy chases her, trying to get her to stop. All at once Betsy is back where she was before, seeing the ball and picking it up. There is a cave there and Betsy goes inside. There the little girl is kneeling beside a small pool of water. Betsy approaches on the other side of the pool. The little girl splashes water toward Betsy, who splashes back. For a moment the two girls enjoy splashing water at each other and Betsy smiles. The little girl stops, stands and comes close. When Betsy sees the girls face, it suddenly turns dark. Betsy wakes from a dream again, struggling in the bed with Theny there trying to comfort her. In the other room, John examines the nightdress with the blood on it. Angry, he throws it into the fire and swears hell kill Batts. He is stopped by Lucy, who tells him that they will find another way. She takes the gun out of his hand. Theny and Betsy hear a voice calling Betsys name. Then the spirit spins the girls around and races around the room. Theny is terrified and tries to get out the window. Candles light up and burn down completely in a seconds time. Fire roars in the fireplace.Richard examines Betsy, who is said to have been unconscious for thirty minutes. He asks Theny what happened. She says Betsy had a nightmare where she was fighting someone, and then she woke her up. Then she said they heard a voice. At this point Betsy sits up and screams. Richard tells her she is all right. She settles back down as if to sleep but begins convulsing. Falling out of bed, Richard holds her and tries to calm her. Her eyes roll up in her head for a moment, then she appears normal. Suddenly the window opens and closes repeatedly. The spirit goes around the room, speaking everyones name to them. Richard calls out who are you? The voice answers someone who used to be happy. John stands and cries go to hell, Kathe Batts. At this point Betsy is grabbed by her arms and dragged upstairs. All the men are knocked down and James holds Lucy, preventing her from interfering.Richard is seen writing his journal and his voice is heard telling the story that they didnt understand who was tormenting Betsy or why. John is seen at the church praying and asking God to take his life to end the sufferings of his family. He begins to cough up blood. Later he is seen talking to Richard, saying the Lord has forsaken him. Richard says whatever it is is also attacking John. John says he believes it is Kate Batts. He tells Richard that Chloe tried to return the profit money to Batts before but it was refused. Richard says the entity seems to only attack on the property but John says it can hear their conversation.The coach is loaded with Betsy sleeping inside. John Jr. and Richard drive away, hoping Betsy will be safe if she is far away. Meanwhile the spirit notices that Betsy is gone and searches the house room by room. When it realizes they have taken the girl away it follows and causes a tree to fall in the path of the coach. The horses jump over the tree but the coach flips up and over, crashing down by a tree. The men are thrown clear. Betsy is found safe by Richard, who removes her from the coach and carries her to a clearing. John Jr. is seen bringing one of the horses for them to escape on. Suddenly the black wolf attacks John Jr., who calls for them to go. Richard mounts the horse and Betsy gets on behind him and they race off, the black wolf following. After a few minutes of chase, the wolf vanishes. They continue on. The wolf is seen jumping up and knocking them off the horse. Suddenly Betsy awakes in bed with a cut seen on her cheek. She calls to her mother who wakes up and speaks. She tells her she had a horrible dream that they were sending her away. Lucy denies this, telling her daughter that she will live and not die.Richard and John admit that the entity can attack her anywhere and John says there is nothing they can do. Lucy talks to Richard about Betsy, suggesting he marry her. He tells her that he is twenty years her senior. Lucy admits that she and John are that way also. She encourages Richard to marry her, but he refuses, saying he cannot in good conscience marry her just to be her protector.Richard tells that after that things changed. The entity attacked John and left Betsy almost catatonic. Whenever John would try to help his daughter he would be attacked. Lucy is seen sitting on the front porch when the spirit approaches and sits by her, telling her she knows the truth. Lucy questions and is shown in her mind what was happening to Betsy all that time.John goes to the Batts farm to confront Kate. She comes out and he gives her a gun, asking her to remove the curse. She tells him she put no curse on him or his familythat he did that himself. She refuses to shoot him. He leaves, trying to shoot himself. The gun only clicks and he is unable to kill himself. He weeps.Betsy is reminded by the spirit of what happened that night. John raped Betsy and hid it from his wife, taking the bloody clothes and hiding them. The spirit who represents Betsy tell her to avenge herself. Lucy poisons some cough syrup which then is given to John by Betsy. He dies and later Betsy is seen viewing his grave. The young girl who represents the innocent young Betsy finally is able to leave.Back to the present, Elizabeth (who is a descendant of Betsy, who married Richard some years later) is told by her daughter Jane that she is leaving with her dad. As they begin leaving, Elizabeth goes inside and is confronted by the spirit of Betsy again, who tells her to help her own daughter. Realizing Jane is being molested by her father, Elizabeth runs outside and after the car as it drives away. | plot twist, haunting, storytelling, flashback | train | imdb | Sadly, it doesn't register in us at all.Overall, this movie has good acting, good cinematography, few honestly scaring scenes and a different interpretation to the original Bell Witch Haunting.
Being a ghost story, and one that is trying to scare the viewer here and there, sudden jolts of sound is important and utilized well here.I also appreciated this was done without almost any profanity and with famous actors like Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek.
Based on the true story of the Bell Witch (an apparently well documented case in the US), An American Haunting is another absolute clunker from writer/director Courtney Solomon, the man who gave us the equally lamentable Dungeons and Dragons six years ago.
I'm not in the habit of dishing out the lowest possible score to movies I review on IMDb, but this tedious tale of malevolent spirits is an exceptionally bad film that truly deserves a roasting.Set in the early 1800's, the film centres around the Bells, a well-to-do Tennessee family who suffer from a series of 'terrifying' supernatural attacks after they are cursed by a local woman (believed by some to be a witch).
With risible special effects and some terrible directorial decisions (the pathetic ghostly POV is simply woeful), the film elicits more sniggers than screams.Donald Sutherland sleepwalks his way through the role of patriarch, whilst Rachel Hurd-Wood comes off like a bargain basement Linda Blair, unable to convincingly portray the terror she is supposedly experiencing.
Solomon, struggling to conjure up anything remotely creepy, chucks in a few obvious and ineffectual mechanical scares and then inadvisedly attempts a ludicrous 'twist' ending, which he completely botches.A lot of people have criticised this film for not being true to the facts; I criticise it for being truly awful in pretty much every aspect..
Alas, like many of the PG-13 horror films of today not even good acting can make up for a shady plot, bad directing and terrible editing.
Even the actress playing the mother in the present day looked like she stepped out of a beginning acting class for The Very Sad Divorced Wife (i.e., big bulky sweater, mussed hair, a bottle of vodka next to her on the desk).How disheartening to see a film that could have been a great period piece end up as a big-screen version of every "victim of the week" TV movie, circa 1992.
More original than The Others (which was a watered down cocktail of The Innocents and The Sixth Sense), and ten times more effective than the pallid The Exorcism of Emily Rose, An American Haunting wastes no time in setting itself up as a thriller with something more on its mind than just simply rehashing the same old grab bag scare tactics that every 'Exorcist' remake/rehash resorts to.
Based on The Bell Witch, an apparently true account of demonic possession that resulted in the first recorded case of a ghost actually killing a human being over a hundred and fifty years ago in Tennessee, the film elevates itself by not wallowing in cheap tricks to scare you, and by always taking the high road.
The sheer terror of waiting and watching until the entire story unfolds (in a way you least expect) is so original and surprising, that by the time the finale hits you, it shatters you like no other horror film you've ever seen .
Despite being based on one of the most famous ghost stories in American history and including a solid cast, this 'horror' film is anything but scary, dramatic, or even interesting.
Everyone looks like they're just picking up a paycheck, from Sutherland, who looks bored, to Spacek, who's never been more shrill, to Rachel Hurd-Word, who attempts to do her best Linda Blair impression but ends up just screaming and staring around wide-eyed most of the time.
Out of sheer curiosity I was offered to attend a screening of the world premier of 'American Haunting" -- so I went assuming it was going to be just another kind of scary -- kind of twisted -- kind of blasphemous -- kind of whatever -- kind of films -- WoW I was completely wrong in more ways than I can possible say!
(Thom Fell); and their friend James Johnston (Matthew Marsh), who unsuccessfully tries to exorcise the entity from the house, the family does their best to protect Betsy in the haunted house."An American Haunting" is a very tense story, with excellent cast and magnificent cinematography, environment and visual and sound effects.
Overall this is a good horror movie, the acting is of a high standard most notably from Donald Sutherland as the overwrought father and the girl who played Betsy.
I must say i was not expecting the revelation that came towards the end of the film but i do think this could have been explained better My only problem with the film was the overuse of sweeping and dizzying camera shots, in moderation and at the right moments these work really well, but in my opinion the director was a little too eager to start swinging the camera around the room and zooming in and around the characters But the narrative worked well, it had a good sense of character and kept my interest throughout.
One of the Bell family asked why he didn't show the Andrew Jackson connection -- Mr. Solomon replied that there just wasn't a place to put it in the film that would make sense.James D'Arcy was asked about the sense of horror while filming -- he said that frequently funny things would happen, like a hand in front of the camera, or blood splattering the wrong way or at the wrong time, which helped relieve the tension.One of the very interesting things I learned was that all but one shot in the film that involved wolves was REALLY WOLVES!
A decent movie with good performances by the always wonderful Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, but one person that stuck out was Rachel Hurd-Wood.
Since i first saw the trailer for this movie, which seems like many moons ago now; i have wanted to see it, i simply love a good supernatural horror story and the feeling of chills running down my spine.Unfortunately 'American Haunting' isn't much scarier than Monster's Inc. It does start with promise, but it becomes tiresome very quickly, the effects of the ghost in the house are on screen for most of the film and simply become boring and over used, the main downfall for me though, was the lack of fear in the characters; none of them seem to portray the terror to make the events believable.The acting is fine, after all there are some top actors here and they do perform well, i have to believe that the film makers wanted it like this, but for me it didn't work.4/10.
(Candles burn down quickly, lights go out, doors slam, girl's bedroom covers get pulled off of her slowly, she gets dragged around, floorboards creak.) The modern day bookend is horribly acted (watch mom whip out the conveniently placed alcohol bottle when confronted by something that happened 100 years before she was born, so why on earth is she an alcoholic over it) and the ending "twist," while interesting psychologically, is handled so poorly I had to stifle a giggle when a certain character goes running after a car when she figures out what's going on.
An American Haunting is pretty good as far as horror films go, however that is mainly because the film is actually based on true events.
Thriller and suspenseful horror.The story was decent and I also feel it was a scary movie, right up to the ending.
The story, later to become " An American Haunting " or 'the Legend of the Bell Witch' would permeate through modern times and produce more than 20 books, plays and several films.
This is a hauntingly bad movie featuring donald sutherland and many other wasted talents in this turgid mess about a spirit caused the death of a man, and this is the set in 1820's about a family who has a spirit in the house and spirit seems to follow a girl in the house, yet they put her back to bed like nothing happened, the performances are completely silly, the special effects are terrible, the screenplay is misused in the wrong way and the direction is not very good, We saw much better ghost and other spirit movies like the exorcist and the exorcism of emily rose, here this one is pathetically lost and lame brained, this is one of the most loudest, most pathetic movies in recent years, since alone in the dark..
Up until a few months ago, I had never heard of the Bell Witch, but I love horror stories, and have always liked Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland.After seeing the trailer, I was excited, and anxious to see the film.In the time between seeing the trailer (about a month) and seeing the movie tonight, I did read up on some of the legend as accounted in websites etc.Well, we just got home from the theater and I am getting the feeling that I wasted the time to watch it.The movie was well shot, the acting was great...
No, it didn't follow completely what I had read on the Bell Witch, but being Hollywood, I expected some 'dramatic license.' *** Spoiler ALERT *** But to have the entire story pan out to be a sexual abuse of the daughter by the father was just too much.I understand that *crap* like that does happen in real life...
First of all, It has bad editing and re-uses the same exact scenes over and over again throughout the movie.Its not scary AT ALL, and even copies ideas such as the 'first-person camera for the spirit' from other horror films.
Based upon true events this history of the Bell Family, adapted from the 1997 novel The Bell Witch: An American Haunting, this movie takes you back to Tennessee early 1800.
Legendary actors Donald Shutterland & Sissy Spacek are taking away the better part of the movie, but it's up to newcomer Rachel Hurd-Wood, to star in this dark tale of mystery and haunting.
It becomes quickly obvious that only Betty is capable of seeing the girl and when dreadful nightmares starts to haunts Betsy we all know there is more going on.Personally I think the acting is great, and especially the elegant and lovely Rachel Hurd-Wood is an actress we might hear more of soon.
On the other hand we can't forget that this is based on true events and that levels the film a lot.Brent Monohan wrote the novel and Director Courtney Solomon wrote the screenplay to this movie.
Based on the Brent Monahan novel about the true life haunting of John & Lucy Bell(played by Donald Sutherland & Sissy Spacek) in 1818 Tennessee.
Being the Horror freak that I am, I like reviewing the films I watch, for future references as wall as for others to hopefully read and benefit.An American haunting is a ghost story attempting to raise fear in the hearts of spectators without using the common methods.
Like others on this site have been saying, it seems as though the entire cast and crew were in desperate need of a paycheck, and released 'An American Haunting' just in time to cash-in on the current witch revival that has been flooding through horror movies for the last ten years or so.Donald Sutherland does an acceptable job, but he really does just seem bored to death the entire time.
I hope to god that someone does the story of the Bell Witch justice one day and gives us an actual horror movie, because 'An American Haunting' views like a cheap, quick way to make a couple dollars.AN American HAUNTING ----6/10(Why can't I capitalize the entire word American, hmmm IMDb???).
I couldn't wait for the movie expecting the talents of Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek to bring the story to life.
This employee should also be contracted in as being 'un-let-goable.' He or she should supervise the direction the film is taking and beat some sense of style and taste into the director, til reason or unconsciousness occurs.Why would you take a great tale, the shadow of it being apparent in this tragedy, and ruin it with horrible acting, bad effects that are poorly placed, and re-writing the story so that it not only destroys the spirit (pun intended) of the original, but actually erases any chance for that crucial suspense and fear that we are looking for?Save your money, don't rent this film.
I figured with Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland it actually had a chance at being a good movie.What I liked: The acting in the non-special effects sequences, the sets, costumes, photography.
i recently saw this film with my daughter and we both thought we where in for a really good scare,how disappointed we where,the story is totally different from the true bell witch story,there where no real jump out of your skin moments,the film was quite boring in places,and the story was never explained,two good actors where wasted making this rubbish,if there had stayed true to the real story you would have had one very scary film,so beware avoid at all cost,a waste of money,or wait till it comes out on DVD and rent it,Donald Sutherland's character was bland,i think he is a really good actor but this was not the part for him,and sissy spacek i remember her in carrie,that movie was scary but she did't shine she seemed to play a down trodded wife,and as for the young cast,cardboard cutouts..
This is classic horror in the making, I was on the edge of my seat as this ghost or spirit haunted the Bell family.
And not only a few times but along the whole movie.OK maybe the movie is a bit confusing but thats the only thing i can think of to lower its rating for me its 10/10 Ignore the bad reviews if u wanna see a thrilling ghost story with many scary scenes who make your hair stand up.
Nevertheless, its focus is on some legend called the Bell Witch, I think, and the events which led to the death of a man, as a result of the seeming haunting in his family's home.It's worth saying that as a scary movie, this is not even slightly scary.
Between the years 1818-1820,the Bell Family of Red River,Tennessee was visited by an unknown entity that haunted the family and eventually ended up causing the death of one its members.The attacks grew in strength and savagery,with the spirit slapping,pulling,dragging and beating the Bell's youngest daughter,Betsy.The Bells try to leave the house and the town, but they eventually have to accept that the poltergeist will follow them anywhere."An American Haunting" is loosely based on a book by Brent Monahan that purportedly told of the only recorded case in U.S. history of a spirit causing the death of a human being.However the film is boring and repetitive.Every scene in "An American Haunting" plays itself out in the exact same fashion.The film is loaded with cheap jump scares which are incredibly irritating.The cast is okay with Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek to boost,some of the cinematography is beautiful,unfortunately the final scenes are beyond senseless and idiotic.Don't bother with this mess-watch "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" again.5 out of 10..
Even better this is based on a true story.....well actually the most documented haunting in American History.
An American Haunting is actually a true story about the Bell witch that had haunted this family in the 1800's.
So a film like this comes along and I was hoping they would not ruin a great story a this Bell haunting...however I was surprised, impressed, and blown away all at the same time by this film.
But as far as THIS movie, don't start to watch it with "Exorcist" on your mind, but rather "Blair Witch Project", & you may actually enjoy it.But, like I said, I was WANTING to be scared, and wasn't.
It's not boring, and the storyline might be cliché but it's still beautiful and really scary and sad, and got me jumping out of my seat a couple of times.The story is based on the bell witch haunting, which happened in 1817 in Adams Tennessee.
Many reviewers here seem to have gone into this movie with the expectation of it being the Second Coming of horror films.
The legend of the Bell witch is one of the most popular events in the supernatural North American folklore.The phenomenon was documented by a lot of people,including the President of the USA at that time,Andrew Jackson.But,some investigations reveal the non-existence of that phenomenon.But,some other people say the phenomenon really happened and that,in the early nineteenth century,an evil spirit disturbed the Bell family during years,until a tragedy finished the phenomenon.And now,thanks to the boom of the horror genre,we have the movie version of that phenomenon,which is a failed and mediocre horror film.An American Haunting does not work well as a horror film.It frequently uses old tricks for producing scares(like the musical accent when someone appears suddenly)and some supernatural phenomenons produce involuntary humor.Director Courtney Solomon makes a much better work than the one he did in Dungeons and Dragons,but he fatally fails for provoking suspense.But,his worst fail is as a screenwriter because,with Brent Monahan(the other screenwriter),he wrote a very weak screenplay which does not produce fear,it has irrelevant drama scenes and it has exaggerated characters.The cast gave some points to this weak movie.Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek show credibility on their roles.Rachel Hurd Wood also made a good work.This actors deserved better material to work with.An American Haunting is a weak and boring horror film which did not produce me fear.I do not recommend it..
So when I saw the TV listing said based on a true story, I thought I'd watch it.The movie started out very well and had me wondering what was going to happen next. |
tt2375605 | The Act of Killing | Anwar Congo and his friends have been dancing their way through musical numbers, twisting arms in film noir gangster scenes, and galloping across prairies as yodelling cowboys. Their foray into filmmaking is being celebrated in the media and debated on television, because Anwar Congo and his friends are mass murderers.MEDAN, INDONESIA When the government of Indonesia was overthrown by the military in 1965, Anwar and his friends were promoted from small-time gangsters who sold movie theatre tickets on the black market to death squad leaders. They helped the army kill more than one million alleged communists, ethnic Chinese, and intellectuals in less than a year. As the executioner for the most notorious death squad in his city, Anwar himself killed hundreds of people with his own hands. Today, Anwar is revered as a founding father of a right-wing paramilitary organization that grew out of the death squads. The organization is so powerful that its leaders include government ministers, and they are happy to boast about everything from corruption and election rigging to acts of genocide.THE ACT OF KILLING is about killers who have won, and the sort of society they have built. Unlike ageing Nazis or Rwandan genocidaires, Anwar and his friends have not been forced by history to admit they participated in crimes against humanity. Instead, they have written their own triumphant history, becoming role models for millions of young paramilitaries. THE ACT OF KILLING is a journey into the memories and imaginations of the perpetrators, offering insight into the minds of mass killers. And THE ACT OF KILLING is a nightmarish vision of a frighteningly banal culture of impunity in which killers can joke about crimes against humanity on television chat shows, and celebrate moral disaster with the ease and grace of a soft shoe dance number.A LOVE OF CINEMA In their youth, Anwar and his friends spent their lives at the movies, for they were "movie theatre gangsters": they controlled a black market in tickets, while using the cinema as a base of operations for more serious crimes. In 1965, the army recruited them to form death squads because they had a proven capacity for violence, and they hated the communists for boycotting American films - the most popular (and profitable) in the cinemas. Anwar and his friends were devoted fans of James Dean, John Wayne, and Victor Mature. They explicitly fashioned themselves and their methods of murder after their Hollywood idols. And coming out of the midnight show, they felt "just like gangsters who stepped off the screen". In this heady mood, they strolled across the boulevard to their office and killed their nightly quota of prisoners. Borrowing his technique from a mafia movie, Anwar preferred to strangle his victims with wire.In THE ACT OF KILLING, Anwar and his friends agree to tell the filmmakers the story of the killings. But their idea of being in a movie is not to provide testimony for a documentary: they want to star in the kind of films they most love from their days scalping tickets at the cinemas. The filmmakers seize this opportunity to expose how a regime that was founded on crimes against humanity, yet has never been held accountable, would project itself into history.And so the filmmakers challenge Anwar and his friends to develop fiction scenes about their experience of the killings, adapted to their favorite film genres - gangster, western, musical. They write the scripts. They play themselves. And they play their victims. Their fiction filmmaking process provides the film's dramatic arc, and their film sets become safe spaces to challenge them about what they did. Some of Anwar's friends realize that the killings were wrong. Others worry about the consequence of the story on their public image. Younger members of the paramilitary movement argue that they should boast about the horror of the massacres, because its terrifying and threatening force is the basis of their power today. As opinions diverge, the atmosphere on set grows tense. The edifice of genocide as a "patriotic struggle", with Anwar and his friends as its heroes, begins to sway and crack.Most dramatically, the filmmaking process catalyzes an unexpected emotional journey for Anwar, from arrogance to regret as he confronts, for the first time in his life, the full terror of what he's done. As Anwar's fragile conscience is threatened by the pressure to remain a hero, THE ACT OF KILLING presents a gripping conflict between moral imagination and moral catastrophe.NOTE OF INTENTIONBy director Joshua OppenheimerThe Act of Killing reveals why violence we hope would be unimaginable is not only imagined, but also routinely performed. It is an effort to understand the moral vacuum that makes it possible for perpetrators of genocide to be celebrated on public television with cheers and smiles. It is a call to reexamine easy reassurances that we are the good guys fighting the bad guys, just because we say so.Some viewers may desire resolution by the end of the film, a successful struggle for justice that results in changes in the balance of power, human rights tribunals, reparations, and official apologies. The film alone cannot create these changes, but this desire has been our inspiration as well, as we seek to shed light on the darkest chapters of both the local and global human story, and to express the real costs of blindness, expedience, and an inability to control greed and the hunger for power in an increasingly unified world society. This is not a story about Indonesia. This is a story about us all. | absurd, psychedelic, historical | train | imdb | null |
tt1093369 | Hush | On a stormy night, a coupleZakes (William Ash - NICHOLAS NICKELBY, MAD ABOUT MAMBO) and Beth (Christine Bottomly THE WAITING ROOM, VENUS) are making their way up the M1 when they are cut off by a maniacal truck driver. For a fleeting moment, the roll door on the back of the truck opens and Zakes glimpses what looks like a half-dressed woman shackled and caged within. Not entirely convinced about what he has seen, Zakes informs the police and tries to forget about the incident. Beth becomes extremely agitated by her boyfriend's indifference and storms off after the couple stop at a motorway service station. Zakes desperately searches the surrounding area but there's no sign of Beth, but he sees a familiar truck leaving the services. Assuming the truck driver has kidnapped his girlfriend Zakes give chase, and so begins a heightened game of cat-and-mouse at full speed along the rain-soaked motorway. [D-Man2010]British thriller. Would-be writer Zakes (William Ash) is driving home along the rain-drenched M1 motorway with his girlfriend Beth (Christine Bottomley) asleep in the passenger seat beside him. When a near-accident causes him to catch a fleeting glimpse into the back of a white lorry just in front of him, he sees to his horror that it contains a woman tied up and covered in blood. The couple stop at the next service station, where Zakes, tired and shaken, carries out his job of posting flyers in the toilets. When he comes out he is horrified to discover that Beth has gone missing. Could she be the next victim of the owner of the white lorry? [D-Man2010] | suspenseful | train | imdb | It had suspense and some good moments, i thought it was better than i was lead to believe and wouldn't recommend it but if you do hire it then you wont be too disappointed and just enjoy it for what it is a low budget film with some good moments..
However, it is fairly unambitious with character detail (after the opening argument), and there are a few of the usual (and easily avoidable) horror clichés - we even get the hiding in the toilet cubicle sequence (albeit with a slight variation).You get the sense that Tonderai had his set-up and finale worked out fairly early on but didn't know what to do with the story in between.
Personally I felt that a more stripped-down lone bad-guy approach would have been strong enough.The film owes something to Spielberg's 'Duel' in theme and narrative drive (no pun intended), and there are similarities in tone to the marginally superior Australian horror 'Wolf Creek'.
I was also surprised by a few twists here and there which would give Hollywood a run for its money.For a movie that was obviously on a budget (made with help from the lottery) I think it can stand proud with the multi-million pound big boys from the USA.A good thriller worth watching.
Music is by Theo Green and cinematography by Philipp Blaubach.Warring young couple Zakes (Ash) and Beth (Bottomley) are driving up a dark and rain-soaked M1, when all of a sudden a grime covered truck swerves in front of them and the tail-gate lifts briefly to reveal a caged woman in the back.
Into the fray are a young couple who are on the cusp of breaking up (though Zakes in that macho way is ignorant to this fact), this is where Hush manages to rise above merely being a horror picture cobbled together from bits of other genre pictures.
It examines how a fractured relationship reacts to a terrifying reality thrust into their lives, and with barely half a dozen principal characters in the story, this clearly isn't going to be a psycho truck driver movie that sees the antagonist offing a number of dim-wits with gory care-free abandon.Director Tonderai has done an impressive job with such limited resources, there's a realistic tense atmosphere brought out by the low budget.
He doesn't compromise the pace of the movie with pointless filler, it's a standard three tiered horror structure (meet the principals/put them in peril/do or die finale), but the film always remains honest to its core ideas, with Zakes reacting to his various predicaments in a way that is not beyond the realms of reality.
There's also some nice camera touches (under carriage tracking shot) and smart use of appliances (light sensors), so why is Hush not more loved and lauded?Fact is, is that hardened horror fans from the last twenty years will not be able to get away from that old familiar feeling of deja vu.
Hush, which comes from ex British radio DJ Mark Tonderai (who has also done some small time writing and acting gigs in the past) is an example of the kind of film that excels in areas whilst disappointing and aggravating in others.
The resulting experience when watching Hush then is one of subtle engagement—there are times when you'll be annoyed at decisions made by characters fictional and non, yet this too often works in favour of the film.
When taken as a simple thriller, Tonderai's directorial debut succeeds; it may not be the biggest most progressive outing for the genre but it's still got a certain conviction that allows it to hurtle on regardless; careless and somewhat bold.The same can equally be said for the movie's protagonist who comes in the form of young adult Zakes Abbot (William Ash); an obnoxious, moaning git, basically.
There are some clever devices here and there that do help flesh the whole thing out, yet the basic enjoyment factor here is that pulse-pounding threat that Tonderai builds and builds throughout; it can be exciting, and therein lies one of only two highlights to Hush's palette.The other highlight lies in the performance of William Ash who—although a little dubious when delivering some lines at the beginning of the feature—sells his fear amicably.
For a movie such as this where the viewer's only real link into the psyche of this horror of sorts is through the central character that it's all happening against, Ash does a nice job of keeping that boat alive and breathing above water.
Built upon a mountain of derivative clichés, ridiculous plot twists and dead-end sequences that go nowhere, the narrative that exists to propel the character of Zakes is unfocused and a little short on fresh ideas to the point where the guy's name is the only real original element inherent to it's existence.
That is until his girlfriend goes missing and he realises he has a more personal stake in pursuing the captor.What follows is a fairly straight-forward cat & mouse chase as Zakes tails and evades the villain simultaneously, bringing to mind the 2003 French thriller High Tension (AKA Switchblade Romance) which as you might expect with that title is essentially one long suspense sequence.
The real shining light of this film, however, is the main performance of William Ash who not only looks just like a young Robert De Niro but is not too far behind him on the acting front either.
So to sum up, it is a solid film that is made better because, apart from he general concept of the plot, it is largely cliché free (except for a scene in a toilet involving a lot of opening of cubicles, which I have seen in hundreds of films.) William Ash in many scenes makes the film spring to life and Tonderai probably has a bright future ahead of him if he's given more cash and brings more twists to genres.
When the end credits to Hush have finished rolling and people give it a good while before concluding where it is they stand on the film, the easier; more cynical conclusion to reach would be that of arriving at the point which sees the onlooker merely dismiss the project as 1971's Duel with a little bit of 1986's The Hitcher.
Where Duel was a rather intense and really quite frightening exercise in style-driven shocks and scares, with The Hitcher somewhat of a droll, mean-spirited romp through not-much-at-all territory chopping and tailing the realism out of the premise in its manoeuvring of Rutger Hauer's killer around so as to spawn further bloodshed, the two films fed off of that same notion of cat-and-mouse; the chaser and the chased; the victimised and the victimiser, thus eventually leading to a few decent set pieces and a lot of the lead questioning his predicament.
The best scene from either of said examples, perhaps ironically, was probably that instance in Duel in which the film takes a break from the predominant locale of the open road and allows our terrified lead a good look at several truckers in a diner stop.
Hush's trick, its U.S.P., appears to be that of the fact the roles of the above are reversed: the sadistic; truck driving; serial killing; open road dwelling madman is effectively himself on the run from the young-gun out to thwart him, and beside this as well as several other things, Hush as a stand-alone piece works better than it might have.The film will begin with a young couple from the north of England driving along a rainy motorway at night; the intriguingly named Zakes Abbot (Ash) is driving and beside him in the front sits Beth (Bottomley), his girlfriend.
Together, they formulate a couple whom were once close enough to have gone on holiday to Egypt; but are presently suffering on through more testing times in the relationship - the writer/director Mark Tonderai establishing a good ear for the sorts of dialogue couples in this scenario provide, a sense of authenticity about proceedings which will later come as the key word in relation as to whether or not numerous exchanges later on work as examples of terrific drama.
The rain is hard; looking outwards of the windscreen at the open road is tough to do because of it and Beth sits beside him attempting to fall asleep with the help of a blindfold she sports, so there is this overall sense of diminished visibility about proceedings – a sense of diminished visibility which embeds itself into proceedings precisely when a large, nondescript lorry charges past and Zakes catches what he believes to have been a glance at a desperate looking woman in a kind of cage situated in the back following the rearing up of its rear door.
Thus the film begins in earnest when, at a stoppage, Beth herself goes missing and the chase is on.Then there is the issue of the driver of that lorry, the man here played by a certain Andreas Wisniewski who himself is an actor with the rather idiosyncratic honour of being the first man to have been killed on screen by Bruce Willis' Die Hard regular John McLane; a strong, silent character whom is rarely shot from above the waist and skulks around like some kind of hooded reaper spreading his death and gloom up and down the motorways of Britain: think the killer from those I Know What You Did Last Summer movies minus the hook.
Tonderai toys with the character's nature, the man remaining anonymous but relatively human-like for as long as possible for the predominant exchanges before the introducing, through certain means, a golden retriever dog to aid Zakes in his quest as the film pushes on into the final act.
Another example featuring this idea of a character driven framework of standardised convention at work might include 2007 film I am Legend, a piece which suffered considerably when the non-human entity was removed from its text thus fragmenting the threesome.The film is essentially a test for Zakes to prove his worth, born out of his flagging relationship with Beth, by bailing her out of trouble and saving the day.
Hush works on the very specific level upon which it operates with engaging proficiency: a chase thriller with a spin on who's victimising and who's chasing; a concept movie which gets on with proceedings and an overlying character driven process of putting one's flair and ingenuity, key components for Zakes' dream job as a writer, into practise.
Once at the stopping place on the M1 one of the guards do actually believes Zakes (William Ash) and things go wrong but again, suddenly we are back on the M1 and nothing happens further in the story with the guards.
Better then mediocre I should recommend it to horror buffs who like suspense or people who are looking for a good thriller.
However, this film takes all the bad things from American thrillers and gives them a British nuance.
Phil's Quick Capsule Review: Hush is an average British thriller with average shocks and a pretty average cast with it's average 90 mins running time and a pretty average ending
overall then?
Didn't expect much on this cat-and-mouse/thriller "Hush".A movie that takes many inspirations in the likes of "Duel", "The Hitcher", and especially that AWESOME movie of Paul Walker and Steve Zhan's in "Joy Ride".
As usual in a horror/thriller films kind of pick up quickly, but fall flat in their story and characters.
Although, in "Hush" you get a good story, great thrills, and enough character development within a short film.
I gave the film an 7/10 because like it did have moments where it was gut-wrenching, but they are certain scenes that make you cringe at the dumb acts that the characters try to get out of the situation.
This couple bravely pursues the truck and it's villainous driver across many miles of road, trying to rescue the girl inside, avoid getting killed themselves and put an end to whatever is going on.
this film is a gem, i found it by accident,its about a man who is having problems with his relationship, and one night whilst doing his job or posting posters in motorway service stations , he sees a crime and wonders what to do, then gets drawn into it all.
Soon enough the couple find themselves thrown into the middle of a nightmare as they follow the lorry and try to find out what's going on.So far so good – this premise is serviceable if familiar, another in the sub-genre of 'road thrillers' following in the footsteps of Spielberg's DUEL, ROAD KILL and BREAKDOWN.
Unfortunately, as the story progresses, it falls apart completely, with plot hole after plot hole and silly coincidence after silly coincidence, until the film loses all grasp of reality and ends up as nothing more than a Hollywood-style B-movie.HUSH has more ridiculous moments than most and these drag the plot down, leaving the viewer with too many unanswered questions.
Ash, a familiar face for British TV viewers thanks to his role in WATERLOO ROAD, has a single expression throughout the movie and is the second worst thing about the film – next to the script.
Yes, it is a low budget film but followed by very good acting and involving plot of the high pace and tense rhythm.
The couple then argues what to do, phones the police, bla bla bla.At this point the movie still had me interested, but the second 'Zeke' (or whatever the hell his name was) loses his girlfriend to the same kidnapper and then goes on a mission to save her and presumably the other captive woman, I lost interest.Everything that made 'High Tension' suspenseful and terrifying is lacking in Hush, which is a below-average run of the mill thriller that I turned off with only 20 minutes to go, because in the end, who cares?
The British social phenomenon known as "white van man" - usually a middle-aged Caucasian with a clean-shaven head and a white van he uses to deliver goods and services around the country - gets the cinematic treatment in this decent thriller from writer-director Mark Tonderai.
William Ash and Christine Bottomley play Zakes and Beth, a young couple who, whilst driving along Britain's main arterial road, the M1, espy a woman apparently being held against her will in the back of a truck.
However, not bad for his first feature film, proudly sponsored by lottery money - the guy made it for 1 million GBP (british pounds) and did really well with the threat.Unlike some other horror films, such as Wolf Creek, where they could have easily avoided the guy and run away several times or killed him instead of getting killed, Hush really is tough because he is on the highway, constantly pursuing this killer that he can't even see.The film quality is obviously lower than usual films, but it simply adds to the grittiness of Northern UK.
Zakes is just an average guy surviving on a average job when something happens, like many of us he is willing to tell someone and attempt to do something, but after the pass of responsibility is given to someone else he believes it's not his problem any more.This film shows how small things we do to people, like letting someone's tyres down because of a reason such as supporting another team it can have drastic affects in the long run.Zakes has lost his girlfriend in more ways than one, and the white truck becomes more of his problem than it did before, not once does he state he is trying to save the other girl he saw just his girlfriend, he's not trying to be a hero he's just doing what someone would actually do.Some area's of the film could be criticized such as the car running out of fuel, but we all know how quick fuel runs out when we're on the motorway and when the car stutters and starts to slow, old car's like that do struggle to keep up pace.
The fact Zakes 'talks' to himself and swears is a key part, as in so many films of this type they do not swear or say anything, the fear in his voice and eyes is apparent and William Ash does a brilliant job in bringing you into his feelings, of being terrified of something your chasing.Zakes goes through a hard time in this, especially after he finds out his girlfriend has cheated on him he still wants to save her.
I was expecting a scary movie with a masked killer stalking a deaf woman, but that is another film with exactly the same title, but I went along with it anyway, directed by Mark Tonderai (House at the End of the Street).
Basically Zakes Abbot (Waterloo Road's William Ash) and his girlfriend Beth (In the Club's Christine Bottomley) are driving on a rainy night on the M1 motorway, both are tired, irritable, and bickering continuously about their fragile relationship.
You can tell this film is low-budget, it is a fairly simple format, a "curiosity killed the cat" situation, with a sulky but likable lead trying to save his girlfriend from a nasty unseen truck driver, similar in ways to the Spielberg movie Duel, it is pretty slow the majority of the time, but it does get tense just enough to keep it interesting, a reasonable thriller.
One thing very peculiar about this film is how the chasing is made; in this case, the innocent man (Zakes) is who follows the lunatic, in order to save his (ex?)-girlfriend.
Others such as KILL LIST seem to be two different films stuck together and Mark Tonderai's HUSH belongs firmly alongside KILL LIST in this respect The first half introduces the protagonist Zakes who is driving his girlfriend Beth on a British motorway late at night where he thinks he spots something disturbing in the lorry in front of them .
A couple of times I was expecting to be watching some serious torture porn but again HUSH isn't really that type of film . |
tt0023427 | Scarface | The film opens with a statement that the film is an indictment of gang rule and a call to the individual to do something about it since the government is your government. On 22nd Street in Chicago, a gentleman is cleaning up a club where some men who are hanging out are discussing the fact that Johnny Lovo is looking for some action on the south side. This man is "Big Louis" who has done well for himself. He makes a phone call in a phone booth. A shadowy figure comes in from the right and guns him down, wipes his gun and leaves. The man cleaning up the club puts on his jacket and leaves to avoid any complications.A newspaper editor is putting out a story that "Big" Louis Costello has been killed, and that this is the beginning of a gang war. He was the last of the older generation of gangsters. He wants "gang war" in the lead copy.Some cops (led by Guarino) (C. Henry Gordon) come to a barbershop. and the barber hides a man's gun under a towel. The man, Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), makes sarcastic jokes with the police and lights a match off of the policeman's badge as a sign of disrespect. The cop punches him and places him under arrest. Down at the police station someone reads off Tony's police record, showing us that Tony Camonte is currently strong arm for Louis Costilo (Harry J. Vejar). Johnny Lovo split with "Big" Louis. Tony was seen with Johnny Lovo (Osgood Perkins) in a barber shop and what was he up to? He is released on habeus corpus by his lawyer, Fleming. He then visits Johnny Lovo. Johnny Lovo has a girlfriend named Poppy (Karen Morley) who is flippant with the two men. Johnny gives Tony some cash and tells him he's in for a raise as they move in on the south side. Tony want's to move in on O'Hara, a big deal on the north side but Johnny tells Tony to forget about having ideas of his own and to forget the north side. Johnny wants to wait until after Louis' funeral to have a meeting about running beer on the south side.Tony is paying someone off for an easy job about listening to a gun go off. He expresses disrespect of Johnny Lovo, and claims he will run the whole thing himself someday. He isn't intimidated by the north side, after all, why didn't they take out Big Louis first? there's only one rule; "Do it first, do it yourself, and keep on doing it"Tony is eating dinner at home. He is not happy his sister Cesca (Ann Dvorak) is not home. He then catches her making out with a guy inside the front door. He doesn't approve of her hanging out with guys, and offers her cash to have some fun with. She delightedly accepts, but mother warns her that Tony gives nothing away for free, the money is bad, and she will eventually get mixed up in some of Tony's business. She tells her mother not to worry, and that she will run her own life and be ok. She flips some money to a barrel organ player with a monkey on the street.Tony and Johnny and crew smash their way into dead Louis' club and take over. The start shaking down the local speakeasy and pigden joints and overselling their beer and telling them not to worry about Meehan and Berzini. There's a shootup at "the Shamrock". where presumably they took care of Meehan and Berzini. This should lock up the south side. But the newspaper indicates Meehan will live. They go to the hospital with flowers and gun down Meehan.A prop calander indicates the passing of a few months. Tony hits on Poppy again. She is charmed, but tells him to go get a girl. Johnny is mad that Tony took out a north side place because O'Hara is likely to come out and kill them. Just then on the street "Keech" is thrown out of a car with a message to "Stay out of the north side" pinned on him.Back at Tony's house, Camonte's dim-witted "secretary" or right hand man is putting on a hat, gets a call but doesn't get the name of who called. He banters with Tony about his inability to get the name of the caller. He gets a call again and it is not clear who it was. A man comes in with a carnation implying that he has done something to someone at a flower shop. The intercom buzzes, the dumb secretary again does not get the name. Tony takes it, it turns out to be Poppy who is waiting to come in. Tony removes the carnation to remove any connection to the flower shop hit. The man leaves and Poppy comes in. He gives the carnation to Poppy who says O'Hara was killed in a flower shop in the morning. He shows her his place with steal shutters. She notices he has an expensive bathrobe on. He's got a pile of shirts so he only wears a shit once a day. He's got a mattress with inside springs. He brags about a sign outside "Cook Tours - The World is Yours" and says someday the world will be his. Tony makes a move on Poppy but is interrupted by the announcement of the arrival of the cops. He sends Poppy down a secret exit and sets up a date on 4th street for when he is done with the cops. Guino Renaldo (George Raft) comes in. Tony instructs him to get a message to the lawyer to get him out on habeus corpus again.Meanwhile, a British crime lord named Gaffney, (Boris Karloff) is plotting against Tony. He has just gotten an overseas shipment of Thompson sub-machine guns. One of his men calls in to say he is being tailed and Gaffney plots to get the guns moving. Tony has gotten out of the police station and goes to the restaurant. A call comes into the restaurant for Tony which the dim-witted secretary goes to get - then, in a slapstick way he is still on the phone as the restaurant he is at is plastered with bullets from drive by cars. Somehow, he is unscathed.. Tony gets his hand on a machine gun that was lost by someone in the drive by and he sees that you can carry it and sees that it could be useful. He goes to a gang hideout, orders three cars, gets into a fight with Johnny and demonstrates the machine gun. He goes and makes hits on the north side people.The cops complain there's no law against making machine guns, just owning them. They decide to harass a warehouse where they think the machine guns are coming in. There are more hits with car accidents resulting - women screaming, chaos etc. (This is supposed to be on Valentine's day, a reference to the real life 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre.)He shoots seven men execution style. The cops have picked up Gafney who is amazed to see the seven bodies. A reporter finds Gafney in his hideout. Meanwhile the cops discuss how horrible the public's attitude to gangsters is, always being glorified. The cops try talking to the editor to keep gang violence out of the paper or otherwise complaining that the paper contributes to the problem. The editor defends the headlines and the editor makes an impassioned plea to the crowd in his office, presumably city hall types, that laws need to be passed or made tougher in order to change things and that it's in the hands of the people to fix the situation.Tony is with his men at a play where he takes an interest in Sadie Thompson, the main character in a play he is watching. He goes out for a smoke. There is one act left in the play but Tony's men have found Gafney down at the bowling alley and believe it's a setup. He reluctantly agrees to go deal with Gafney. Tony gives instructions for the hit down at the bowling alley as the secretary gets back with news about the 3rd act. Sadie ended up with the marine. Gangs of men begin to crowd around in the bowling alley and as Gafney tosses a bowling ball down the lane, machine gun fire cuts him down.Back at the Paradise nightclub, Tony and his men arrive. He spots Poppy having dinner with Johnny. He gets a chair pulled up. They both try and light Poppy's cigarette. Gunshots ring out in a scuffle a few tables away. It doesn't phase Tony at all - he's used to "noises". Tony's sister hits on Guino Renaldo. She does a seductve dance to entice him to dance with her but he still wants to stay away since she is Tony's sister. She goes with someone else. Tony steals Poppy out on to the dance floor from Johnny. Tony spots his sister on the floor with some guy and knocks him out. He takes her home and he has an argument where she indicates "I'll do what I want". It escalates. He hits her. Cesca runs into her mother's arms. The mother, who has a moral conscience, takes her upstairs to console her. Tony, who might actually feel guilty goes outside.As he gets outside, there is machine gun fire. He makes it to a car to escape but is followed. There is a car chase with a haze of bullets. He is gain unscathed. They go for his tires. and both cars go over an embankment. Tony has escaped to a store (Pietro's) where a man in the dark gives him some nickles to make calls for Renaldo or Lovo back at the club but they have left. He finds Renaldo with one of his girlfriends. He's suspicious Johnny Lovo put out a hit on him. He sets up a scheme where Pietro is going to call him while he is in his office claiming to be one of the guys who saw Tony get away and somehow this will give him away. This is presumably because the assumption is that Johnny wouldn't have known what members of the crew were out so he when he ducks the phone call in Tony's presence, it will give him away. It goes down as planned. After a confrontation, Johnny pleads for his life but Tony leaves having Renaldo shoot him.Tony goes to Poppy's place. He tells her about Johnny and asks her to pack her things. He points to "Cook's Tours - The World is Yours" again. Tony's sister visits Guino in Tony's office. She talks him into having a relationship because Tony will be away for a month. Tony takes Poppy to Florida for a month.Tony comes back from Florida. Comments are made that it's a different town then the one he left a month ago and the crowd at city hall is looking to bust him. He finds out from his mother that his sister has a place of her own and a boyfriend. Tony goes to her new place enraged.Cesca is singing what appears to be "The Wreck Of The Old 97" (a hit record back around the time this film was made). She and Renaldo are expressing their love for each other when Tony comes in sees Guino Renaldo and shoots him. His sister, Cesca, sobbing hysterically, explains that she really loved him and they were married yesterday. She screams that he is a butcher who kills everyone and he leaves.An order comes in for the police to arrest Tony for the killing of Guino. (The original ending starts here) The cops arrive, they shoot the secretary as he stumbles upstairs and takes a phone call while wounded. It's Poppy. He got her name, (the first time he has succeeded in getting anyone's name) and then dies. Tony mutters "I didn't know.. I didn't know.." while he holds the phone as a reference to his sister's marriage.Tony is holed up in his steel windowed fort and his sister comes in with a gun, poiting it at him intending to kill him. Law enforcement arrives with sirens blaring and Cesca instantly changes her mind and pleads for Tony to get away as she stops aiming the gun at him. They have a bonding moment. Tony goes into a maniacal rant that they will take them all on as he loads up a Tommy machine gun and fires outside, hiting a number of policemen and sharpshooters across the street. Stray gunfire hits Cesca in the back and she falls wounded. She pleads for Tony to hold her but it turns out he is afraid of her leaving him alone. She is disgusted that he is afraid to be alone and mutters "Guino, Guino" in her final moments.Just the, the police fire tear gas cartriages into the building. Tony shouts for his sister as the cops, lead by Guarino, break down the front door. Tony stumbles downstairs and aims the gun at them but they shoot first. Tony loses his gun, being shot on the hand and pleads his case to Guarino for a sort of mercy, they try to handcuff him but he runs for it outside and dies in a hail of bullets. Tony Camonte lies dead on the sidewalk when the image pans up from his body to the sign "The World is Yours" and the movie ends.Alternate Ending...In this version, shot to get around censors but eventually abandoned by Howard Hughes, a line between Tony and Cesca is cut, the brother/sister bonding is reduced slightly, and he is successfully handcuffed instead of dying outside in a hail of bullets. The judge reads his sentence. He is found guilty of one murder but he has done hundreds. The judge presents a sort of sermon against violence. He is given the death penalty. A quick scene of the sand bag for being tested for the hanging is shown. Tony is brought in, his legs tied together. A bag is placed over his head. the order for the trap door is given, and he hangs off-screen. | violence, murder | train | imdb | Inevitably, Scarface will be compared with the near-contemporary gangster films, Little Caesar and Public Enemy, and Paul Muni with their stars Edward G.
Paul Muni's Tony Comonte is neither intelligent nor personable; his manners are crude; and at times he is almost childlike in his behavior: for instance, when he is enjoying a play and is interrupted after the second act, summoned to do another killing,and leaves a henchman behind, who can tell him later how it came out, then is delighted to hear that the "guy with the collar" didn't get the girl; rather, the rougher suitor.
In her own way, she's as amoral as Muni.Scarface along with Public Enemy and Little Caesar set the standard for gangster films.
Whereas the Al Pacino cult classic spanned close to three hours and included almost every imaginable cause of death, this version is a mere hour and a half, give or take a few minutes, and unlike the remake, takes place entirely in Chicago.Made as an anti-gangster film, with a message buried under the many bodies that pile up, this is a surprisingly brutal movie for its time, and got a reputation as such.
But it is a masterful gangster film.Paul Muni is Tony Camonte, a pseudo-Capone psycho who believes in doing the dirty work himself, is a sleazebag.
In an attempt to try and snap some sense into the public and the government about the crime wave (mostly in due to Al Capone, who was a major inspiration for Tony Camonte), Howard Hughes and Howard Hawks brought to the screen one of the landmark early gangster pictures.
The implied violence in the film is, in fact, shocking in places, and while it lacks the blood content and major shocks of the De Palma remake, it doesn't compromise to showing the (slightly Hollywood-ized) truth of the matter- crime doesn't pay, but sometimes it's all people know.Tony Camonte is played by Paul Muni, in a performance that wonderfully ranges from angry to sarcastic, funny to romantic, and just down-right crazy; it's no wonder that Pacino was inspired by his performance to take on Tony Montana in the remake (though one could argue that Muni's bravura presence and delivery in this film out-ranks Pacino's in the later).
And then there's the good-old mixture of solid, fascinating bits with the cops and other criminals, not to mention a boss that has to control Tony's manic ideals of taking over the city (and, perhaps, the world).I once heard Quentin Tarantino in an interview say that Howard Hawks is the 'single greatest storyteller in the history of cinema'.
Film chronicles the rise and fall of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni) an ugly, stupid and violent gangster.This film was originally shot in 1930 but was held from release until 1932 because the censor demanded cuts.
Howard Hawks directs this harsh and frank and sometimes humorous look at a small time gangster's(Paul Muni) taste of success before his mob world crumbles around him.
Yet Muni is so great, so intense, that he can render Tony's disgusting sudden cowardice in a smooth, realistic way, and without provoking in the audience any sympathy for the gangster (an important aim for the film-makers).A crucial theme of the movie is Tony's morbid affection (to say the least) toward his sister Cesca (Ann Dvorak).
Let me skip this important motive of "brotherly love", which is extremely difficult to judge correctly, in my opinion.How can a comic character like the illiterate "gangster-secretary", who never gets the name at the telephone, fit so well in the tragic, action-packed story of "Scarface"?
It's not just that SCARFACE is far superior to the remake; it's also the fact that it was one of the most daring and controversial movies of its era (though there were compromises: the scene in the editor's office, where the "moral" is spelled out, was added after the film was completed, to appease the various censor boards), and it's still a fast, often startlingly funny, and vicious gangster movie.
Paul Muni was never better than in this movie (certainly, it's one of his toughest, most direct, least mannered pieces of work), and he's matched by a wonderful supporting cast, especially Ann Dvorak's sly, insinuating performance as his sister.
As everyone else mentioned, Paul Muni is excellent as dopey gangster Tony Camonte, and this time I was knocked out by Karen Morley's performance as a no-nonsense moll; I hope I can find some other films of hers.
I'm not sure the movie works as the anti-violence film it claims to be: Although Tony Camonte has a lot of faults, the non-gangster characters are mostly undeveloped and dull, if not downright problematic, like the police inspector who apparently likes to beat up arrestees.
Pocked with symbolism and shadowy cinematography, Howard Hawks takes us right into the underworld of the gangster through the life of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), the rough but charming gangster whose goal is to take total control of the bootleg beer business, with the help of machine guns.
Other techniques such as a man whistling every time someone is killed is copied in more recent movies like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction when Jules recites Ezekiel from the bible before killing people.The film opens with a statement of purpose as an indictment' against gangsters.
Hawks cared less about society's gangster problem than his film as he rejected censors requests for inclusion of changed scenes.The movie's dark substance is complemented with humor and romance.
A film about blind ambition for an impossible love.Scarface was one of Howard Hawks most famous movies and is the standard for the gangster genre, influencing future directors such as Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola.
'Why do they want to spoil the classics?'I told him that the the 1983 version that he loves so much was a remake!Howard Hawks 1932 original is a pre Hays code version based on mobsters in Chicago at the time.
The ambitious Tony wants a piece of the action, a step up the ladder and joins up with another mobster, Johnny Lovo who arranged the hit and got Tony out of police custody.This is the beginning of the gang wars in Chicago as Lovo expands his operation, Tony who is more aggressive in taking out his rivals is aided by his coin flipping sidekick Guino Rinaldo (George Raft.)Tony is attracted by Lovo's dame Poppy (Karen Morley) and plans to one day bump off Lovo.
I am glad that the Hawks did not agree with that.Paul Muni (Tony Camonte) is raw, violent, hasty, and at the same time and calculating the main character.
This original version of Scarface, gratuitous disclaimers and all, is a great film for its time due to Howard Hawks's witty, mile-a-minute style which produces great moments like a man being shot in a bowling alley, the camera indifferently following his bowling ball down the lane where it makes a strike.
There are countless moments of terrific film-making even by today's standards, such as when Tony and George Raft's Rinaldo, Tony's quiet and loyal sidekick, while in a restaurant being destroyed by machine guns from the street, are so indifferent to the violence that they begin talking about the Tommy gun Tony picks up from a dead shooter and what a neat gun it is.After having watched Little Caesar, I see just how much more capable a good filmmaker was in the early days of talking pictures.
The film is an explicit indictment of mob rule, much more so than Brian De Palma's remake, and as such it was a brave movie for it's time, (it was originally sub-titled 'the shame of a nation' and Tony was obviously modeled on Al Capone).
The last of the big three gangster films of the early 30s, Howard Hawks' Scarface is the one that has best stood the test of time.
Each murder that takes place is signified by the appearance of an X (the mark left by police to indicate where a body lay at the scene of a death) somewhere on the screen, whether a shadow on a wall or the number on a hotel door), and cinematographer Lee Garmes makes great use of light and shadow to hint at the madness that slowly envelopes Camonte's soul as he rushes toward his fate.Paul Muni in his breakthrough role gives a kinetic performance as Tony Camonte (a figure closely modelled on Al Capone), managing to convey at a moment's notice the cold heart that beats inside the sometimes buffoonish exterior.
All the while by his side he has his loyal buddy Guino Ronaldo (George Raft) and a bumbling Angelo (Vince Barnett) as his secretary.The fast-paced machine-gun mayhem in this film almost never lets up in the crisp 90 minutes running time of the film.Parallely, there are the story angles of Tony's overprotective and seemingly incestuous demeanor towards his sister Francesca (Ann Dvorak), and that of his own pursuit of Johnny Lovo's girlfriend, Poppy (Karen Morley).Great acting skills displayed by most of the cast apart from Paul Muni, of course, who is wildly over-the-top, almost to the extent of hilarity, but in a positive sense!
He has clearly had a lot of fun portraying this character, just as Pacino did in the remake.Penned by Ben Hecht and superbly directed by Howard Hawks,"Scarface" is a landmark in the gangster film genre.Highly recommended!.
It was a cycle that seemed to come to a fitting conclusion with Cagney's WHITE HEAT seventeen years later.Aside from Howard Hawks' brisk, no nonsense direction, the biggest asset of SCARFACE is PAUL MUNI, with the swarthy actor riveting in the role of the merciless gangster who gets his comeuppance in the final scene, squealing like a cornered rat so that the pre-code censorship would be satisfied by a crime doesn't pay sort of ending.A close second to Muni is GEORGE RAFT, flipping that coin in true gangster movie style, and doing nicely in a secondary plot that features his attraction to Muni's teen-aged sister, ANN DVORAK, who appears to have a close relationship with her obsessed brother.Hawks and Howard Hughes apparently had many censorship angles to soften before the film could be released but this is still pre-code stuff that has a sharp enough edge to make it watchable today.Interesting to note that the actor who plays a double-crossing crime boss is played by Osgood Perkins, father of the late Anthony Perkins.
(There are Spoilers) Unoubtaly the best of the depression era gangster movies that came out of Hollywood in the 1930's "Scarface" was so chilling and effective that it had it's director Howard Hawks, who owed the film,lock up all the prints and take the movie out of circulation back in 1932 the year it was released.
Spinning off a remake in 1983 staring Al Pacino the original that's well over 70 years old still eclipses the later, made in color and with far more graphic sex and violence, by a country mile.Vicious and brazen Tony Camonte, Paul Muni, has big plans for himself in getting to the top of the heap in the criminal underworld in 1920's Chicago.
They don't make them, gangster films, any better then "Scarface" and it's amazing to watch the movie now and see how ahead of it's time it really was.
P.S Unlike in action/gangster movies made today the shooting scenes in "Scarface" had real bullets used in it's the films action sequences!
Scarface (1932), Howard Hawks & Richard Rosson, tells the story of Tony Cammante, modeled after Al Capone, an up an coming gangster living in Chicago's south side.
Gangster Tony is very different from the character Muni played in "I'm a Fugitive from a Chain Gang." Poppy however,did not seem much like an important role in the film, maybe we could've even done without her.
Hawks uses various creative techniques, some involving shadows, which give the film a more menacing and dark touch, making it feel less like some violent action movie (which it manages to have many elements of) and more like a Film Noir.The acting is pretty good, Paul Muni makes the character both extremely hatable and pretty sympathetic at times, and Boris Karloff (famous for being in a lot of classic horror films such as "Frankenstein" and "The Mummy") shows up, and is pretty great, too!I cannot come up with any negative things about the film.
Classic film about the rise and fall of Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), a violent gangster with an unhealthy relationship with his younger sister Cesca (Ann Dvorak).
Tony shoots his way to the top of the underworld but when he discovers his best friend (George Raft) is having a relationship with Cesca, he loses control and everything begins to unravel.One of the trio of gangster classics, along with Little Caesar and Public Enemy, that defined the genre.
You better get in.Muni is Tony Camonte, a scarfaced goon from the tough Five Points section of New York who comes to Chicago with his coin-flipping comrade Guino (George Raft) for torpedo work with a top crime boss.
Prior to watching this movie I had very high expectations for it and assumed that I would love it because of its obvious reputation of fueling the big gangster film era of the 1930s and because, after watching "I am a Refugee from a Chain Gang", I find Paul Muni to be a fantastic actor of his time.
Robinson, that hammiest of hammy 30s actors, Paul Muni, tossed his hat into the gangster ring to play Tony "Scarface" Camonte, polishing off a nice little trilogy of gangster movies from the early 1930s that includes "The Public Enemy" and "Little Caesar." The result lands squarely between the other two films in my affection.
Ann Dvorak lands the role of Tony's sister, and it's their strange relationship, one that takes the picture in a surprising direction toward its climax, that lends the film its novelty in the otherwise fairly formulaic gangster genre.Howard Hawks helmed this one, and earned his salary by his creative direction of the opening sequence alone.Grade: A-.
I feel like it is good to pay attention to the motives of every character involved as everyone plays a big role in the life of Tony Camonte played by Academy Award winner Paul Muni, who does a wonderful job at playing a man who enjoys his world of crime.
Also raising eyebrows was the hint of an incestuous interest Mr. Muni's character has for his teenage sister Ann Dvorak (as Francesca "Cesca" Camonte); however, these kind of sexual subtexts (both intentional and not) were nothing new.Additionally fine supporting performances are delivered by banged-up mob boss Osgood Perkins (as John "Johnny" Lovo), henchman George Raft (as Guino "Little Boy" Rinaldo), leggy blonde Karen Morley (as "Poppy"), inept male secretary Vince Barnett (as Angelo), and bowling rival Boris Karloff (as Gaffney).
The father of all gangster films and definitely one of the best, Howard Hawk's Scarface is an incredible array of bullet-flying action and sexual innuendo that does not stop.
Considered extremely violent for its time, it took over a year for producer Howard Hughes to get it released, but he did and it now stands as a classic with full-fledged performances and a very tight script.Paul Muni, a name not that much heard in Hollywood lore, does excellent work as Tony Camonte, a man who starts out working for a local crime boss but has such a big head he is going to end up one eventually.
With other crime movies of the day, SCARFACE makes every attempt in topping them all, even those produced by Warner Brothers, where many of the best gangster films were made.
It was also one of the first films from the classic movie era to be distributed to home video by about the same time as the 1983 remake starring Al Pacino in a remake brought up to date, changing the Tony character from Italian mobster of Chicago to Cuban refugee in Florida, containing more intense violence that the original ever allowed at that time, each concluding with the neon sign reading, "The World is Yours," along with a closing dedication to director Howard Hawks after its extreme three hour length.
Robinson and James Cagney create more vivid characters, but Scarface is probably the most relevant film dealing with the problem of organized crime in its day, not to mention introducing us to the most dangerous gangster anti-hero of all, Tony Camonte.
"Scarface" 1932 is truly is a great film Classic, directed by Howard Hawks.
The other reason is that he was ahead of his time developing something called "method acting" where he becomes the character rather than constantly playing the same part, It's interesting to note that both Boris Karloff and George Raft appear in SCARFACE who'd both be better remembered than the star of this movieThere's a couple of legacies to come from this 1942 movie and that is the remake by DePalma with its over the top violence and the second thing is use of semiotic code that involves a cross appearing on screen just before or during a death scene.
Paul Muni is "Scarface" in this 1932 film, beautifully directed by Howard Hawks and Robert Rossen, with a screenplay by Ben Hecht.
Paul Muni who plays "scarface" Tony Camonte does an excellent job, he has a sort of "boss" like attitude which really develops his overall character.
Scarface is another gangster genre film of the 1930's like Public Enemy and Little Caesar.
This movie has top notch direction, by Howard Hawkes, acting, by Paul Muni, and action.
Extremely violent and brutal, this original version of Scarface absolutely astounded me with its brilliantly depicted story of ruthless organized crime.Literally defining a genre, Scarface is an excellent, 1932, Gangster film that is considered to be one of the most influential movies of all time.
It is a groundbreaking masterpiece that influenced all gangster films to follow.Directed by Howard Hawks, Scarface was filmed during the "pre-code" era before censorship shaped the way movies were made. |
tt0762121 | The Nativity Story | This is a conflation of the stories of the birth of Jesus found in biblical accounts by Matthew and Luke.Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) lives in the small town of Nazareth. She's still young enough to play with the other children of the town, although she must also work to help her poor family get by. The people of the town can barely pay the king's taxes. When one of their neighbors loses his daughter to involuntary servitude to pay off a tax debt, Mary is forced into a betrothal by her parents to Joseph (Oscar Isaac), a young homebuilder who has had his eye on Mary. They're told they must not consummate the marriage for a year. Mary's not happy with the arrangement. She barely knows Joseph; she certainly does not love him.But then an angel (Alexander Siddig) appears to Mary, telling her she's been chosen by God to bear the Son of God, who will save their people. She's told her cousin Elizabeth (Shohreh Aghdashloo), who's ostensibly too old to have children, is already pregnant, which is proof God can do anything. Mary agrees to the angel's request, and then travels to see Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the wife of Zechariah (Stanley Townsend), a priest who was told in the temple his aged wife would conceive and bear a son, who was to be named John. Zechariah didn't believe it, so he lost his ability to speak. When Mary shows up, Elizabeth seems to know all about Mary's impending pregnancy, saying her own child leapt in her womb. Mary tells Elizabeth she's scared, since the law requires she remain pure. She thinks nobody will believe she's kept her vows. Elizabeth comforts her, telling her to trust God.Mary stays until Elizabeth's child is born. Zechariah gets his voice back when he insists the boy be named John. Mary, who is now pregnant, decides she had better return home.When she comes back noticeably pregnant, however, the whole town is scandalized, and Joseph is broken hearted. Mary's parents can't believe Mary; they fear she might have been raped by one of Herod's soldiers. They tell her she could be put to death for violating her vows. Joseph agrees not to press charges, but he's upset and bitter. The town shuns Mary. But then Joseph sees the same angel in a dream who tells him Mary's telling the truth, and so he takes her back, which now makes him an outcast in the town, too.Meanwhile, evil King Herod (Ciarán Hinds) is worried about a prophecy of a new king who will be a Messiah for his people. He thinks some usurper may make political use of the prophecy to start an uprising. He decides to take advantage of Caesar's desire for a census to make everyone return to his ancestral home. Since the Messiah is to come from David's lineage, Herod thinks he can trap the pretender in Bethlehem, the City of David. Joseph is a descendant of David, so Herod's order also forces Joseph to go to Bethlehem. Mary agrees to go with him, so they undertake an arduous journey, during which Mary comes to see Joseph as a good, self-sacrificing man. Affection and trust grows between them.At about the same time, three magi in Persia, who have also been studying prophecy, decide to travel to Judea because the alignment of a star with two planets tells them a new king will be born there. They load up some camels and take off across the desert. At a stopover in Jerusalem, they tell Herod the Messiah king will not be a grown man, but a little baby. Herod pretends he wants to pay homage to the new king, too, and asks them to return with directions once they've located him. After they leave, Herod hatches a terrible idea. He decides he can put an end to the people's hope in the prophecy by killing all the babies in Bethlehem.Just as Mary and Joseph reach Bethlehem, Mary starts contractions. Joseph runs around looking for a place for her delivery, but all that's offered is a stable. Just as she gives birth, the three celestial bodies line up, and a shaft of light falls on the stable. Following the advice of the angel, some shepherds show up to see, including one who showed kindness to Mary and Joseph earlier. Mary tells him her baby is born for all mankind. The shepherds are followed by the magi. The magi present their gifts of gold for the king of kings, frankincense for the priest of priests, and myrrh for the one who must sacrifice.After they leave, Mary and Joseph go to sleep, but then Herod's soldiers begin their terrible infanticide. Just in the nick of time, the angel's voice warns Joseph. So, as the soldiers start slaughtering the innocents, Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus are already out of town, heading for Egypt. | murder, whimsical, flashback, good versus evil, melodrama, storytelling | train | imdb | If you believe that Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and everyone else in the actual events were white, Anglo-Saxon Europeans living in Central Park in New York or in California, you will be disappointed with this movie.
If you want to see how people really appeared, lived and responded to the actual culture in Israel at the time of the birth of Christ, this is a work of art."The Nativity" is an excellent depiction of the actual events as we know them from the Bible.
She responds hesitantly but with faith to the events that focus on her.Joseph is equally realistic as a young peasant just beginning life, and any man who has ever faced marriage for the first time will appreciate the dilemmas facing Joseph and his reactions to them.Herod is an historically-accurate and ruthless jerk, but the movie does not overdo his part.
Instead of being simple plastic figures in a nativity scene on your mantle, they really come to life, add a lot of context to the movie, and provide a lot of information about how and why things happened as they did.
The timing of the wise men's arrival may be off - but no one is 100% certain when they did arrive so this is not a big deal.When the shepherds are visited by an angel to announce the birth of Christ, the angel is not followed visibly by "a heavenly host praising God" - but you can hear them.I could go on and on and on, but the point is that this is an excellent depiction of events that occurred in Israel 2,000 years ago.
Like Mel Gibson's The Passion, The Nativity Story delivers the quality acting, cinematography, musical score, special effects, direction, sound, production, etc.
we've grown accustomed to receiving from the most skillful members of the Motion Picture industry.I was particularly appreciative of the way phrases in the Bible which can often be overlooked like, "Joseph...not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly." came to life on film.
Also, the courage and faith needed by Joseph and Mary to believe God took on a whole new understanding when seeing how the culture they likely lived in brought intense pressures which would have very well been cause to shrink away in fear in the face of had not they obeyed the angel's charges to "do not be afraid." A real strength of the film, I believe, was in how scenes that were straight from the Bible either used the words of the Bible practically verbatim, or at least there was just unspoken acting out the heart of the scene, with little to no unnecessary additions to the Biblical account.
This, I believe, let's the Bible speak for itself for the most part and for that I send a big thank you to Mike Rich as the screenplay writer in getting to the heart of the personal lives of those involved in Jesus' conception and birth while seeking to be true to the text's original meaning.
But if you are looking for good acting or accurate biblical rendering, you will not be disappointed.Treat yourself this Christmas to one of the most beautiful movies..
The power of the film and what, in my view, makes it far and away the best thing to happen to Christmas films in a long time is that it is indeed a realistic portrayal of human emotions.When I say the previews for the release I knew that this was going to be something interesting.
As Mary stated "I have broken no vow." It is clear that Castle-Huhghes has acquired the maturity and intellect that was essential in playing such a prestigious role.I loved how the film acknowledges that Mary was only a child when she became the mother of Jesus, and the movie shows the emotional transformation of Mary.
Catherine Hardwicke has a reputation for directing films that portray the gritty teenage essence, and she takes her talent of amazing depictions of the teenage nature to the story of the beloved Virgin Mary.
It is also an attempt to convey the physical hardships of the time, the economy of thought and word, the limited aspirations of people 2000 years ago, and the simple faith that has a good deal to do with the success of Western culture to this day.
This movie shows the very human sides of Mary and Joseph and the difficulties they must have encountered while preparing for the 2nd most monumental event in history, the birth of Christ (the greatest event of course was His Passion and Resurrection).I loved this movie and hope everyone can enjoy it!.
If you like traditional biblical films faithful to the Bible, this movie is for you.
In this movie he was portrayed as just as he should be.Very minor spoiler ahead The film also contained many episodes not mentioned in the Bible, but these episodes most certainly occurred with the principals in the story (for instance Mary being afraid to marry a man she didn't know etc.).
The producer chose to follow the traditional approach in portraying the story of the birth of Christ by having the Wise Men at the Nativity even though the biblical account reveals that when they arrived in Bethlehem, the scene had moved to a house and the "baby" had become a "child." "Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11).
The obviously highly motivated and dedicated filmmakers of this movie have simply thrown away the book (as did Mel Gibson) on how to create a religious movie and given us something fresh and original --- while taking nothing away from religious tradition.With not a dull moment in the film, the story takes us from a year prior to the birth of Jesus till shortly after the Nativity.
She responds: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word".At the beginning Joseph is suspicious when Mary announces the blessed news but later is informed by an Angel.At the time that Mary is due to give birth, she and her husband Joseph travel from their home in Nazareth about 150 kilometres (90 miles) south to Joseph's ancestral home in Bethlehem to register in the census ordered by Herodes the Great (Ciaran Hinds).
Mary gives birth to Jesus she places the newborn in a manger .Meantime an angel of the Lord visits the shepherds guarding their flocks in nearby fields and brings them "good news of great joy": "to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord." The angel tells them they will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.
I liked this movie because of the humanity of the main two characters --- Joseph and Mary.
Writer Mike Rich and director Catherine Hardwicke try to remind the world of the purpose of Christmas in The Nativity Story.The film follows Mary and Joseph through the moments before the birth of Christ.
It's the Christmas story told as a classic legend, leaving out some major theological and historical points, but keeping the message clear: that Christ is the only begotten Son of God. I would say that it's worth seeing it once.Rated PG for some briefly violent sequences and long drawn-out traveling.Release: December 2006.
I love that the story of the birth of Christ was told through this movie.
Inspired and deeply moving, The Nativity presents the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus Christ in a simple, yet elegant manner that portrays the characters as real people.
Had this been so in real life, Mary, Joseph and Jesus would have been seen much differently by the people of the time.
One great film, if you loved The Passion Of The Christ, then you'll The Navity Story it really gives you reason to celebrate..
The "tough" issues are addressed honestly and realistically (Mary's reluctance to enter into the betrothal with a man she barely knew and didn't love; her isolation from the community because of her "unplanned pregnancy"; Joseph's shock and disappointment upon learning of the plight of the young lady he had chosen because of her virtue; etc.)While some artistic license was used - resulting in aspects of the story that were not 100% in keeping with the Biblical text - taken in total, there are so many WONDERFUL things about this film that I'm reluctant even to mention negatives.I will long remember "The Nativity Story" as the highlight of my Christmas celebration for 2006..
The Nativity Story gave me some new insight into what it was like for Mary and Joseph to bring their son into the world during that period of time.
Keep the great, meaningful movies coming!The realism of the journey really brought home for me some of the things that Joseph and Mary may have had to endure - winds, sand, feet pain, judging eyes, thieves, not to mention fulling pregnant riding on that donkey the whole way in that unhospitable terrain.There were minor things that bothered me but not so much as to take away from the beauty and message of the story.
The nativity story ,told by a woman with taste and sensitivity.Faithful to the gospels,while avoiding most of the Hollywood traps (except for the light that comes down from the sky,in the "Ben Hur" tradition) Much time is given over to the Magi ,but they were scientists after all,and their huge knowledge of astronomy makes sense.All the well-known episodes are featured: the angel telling Mary she would conceive the son of God,the way the Jews used to treat their supposedly unfaithful women,the visit to Mary's cousin Elizabeth who's expecting a baby too (Jesus ' cousin,John The Baptist ;Herode Antipas,featured in the movie ,will have him behead),and the crib.Traditionnaly,however, the Magi did not arrive before the Twelfth Night.It could be the first movie dealing with just the birth of Christ,the many others telling the whole story.You do not have to be a believer to appreciate it..
This film relates the events faithfully, and while it focuses on Mary and portrays her as a level-headed and sensible girl at a time when many around her are flapping a bit to good effect, it struggles to develop her as a living, breathing person rather than a biblical character.
Writer Mike Rich uses the three wise men for gently comic effect in an attempt to lighten the earnest atmosphere, but such humorous moments seem sorely out of place.In summary, this film won't disappoint those looking for a straightforward account of the birth of Jesus but will probably fail to engage the casual viewer..
The blue hues in the filming make the settings seem somber often, one thing that I wondered about how the people of the time saw the events that are now history.I loved this movie and think that no matter where you are in your walk to your journeys end one would enjoy this timeless story, thank you Catherin Hardwick for having the courage to do this movie..
The main thing separating this and the many previous versions of this classic story was that the cast was generally Middle Eastern (except the Kiwi playing Mary) and the movie had a much more authentic feel about it.It was obviously not as ground breaking as "The Passion Of The Christ", but this movie did cast a new light on several of the events surrounding Jesus' birth and therefore gave a new perspective eg the engagement of Joseph and Mary and the turmoil the pregnancy would have caused, the revelations given and most of all to me, the awesomeness of Jesus coming to earth in the form of a baby.Not a Hollywood Blockbuster, but not too bad at all..
This is a decent portrayal of the Virgin Birth story, showing a young Mary and Joseph in a light that is believable for the most part.
The film is best judged for how it portrays life at the time and the possible ways in which Mary and Joseph would have related to each other at this stage of their relationship.The film almost had the feeling that it was shot on a side-lot of the HBO "ROME" series.
Whether you believe this to be true or not is immaterial, it was a vivid and compelling telling of a story that is familiar to all.17-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) was a perfect choice to play Mary.
This movie shows more of the hardship of Mary and Joseph than other portrayals of the birth of Jesus, including their financial difficulties and especially their problems with their journey to Bethlehem.
I have never seen anything from Hollywood that comes close to glorifying God--I've seen my share (10 Commandments with Charlton Heston, "The Resurrection," George Steven's "The Greatest Story Ever Told" , the animated "Prince of Egypt," Mel Gibson's "The Passion" and a recent one, "The Nativity Story.") The latest one I saw was "The Nativity Story" from New Line Cinema based on Jeremiah 23:5-6 (see http://www.thenativitystory.com/.) which chronicles the two-year period of Mary and Joseph's life and culminates in their leaving Nazareth and journeying 100 miles to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.It was actually very close to the Bible account.
The Bible gives the main events surrounding the birth of Christ but the writers did an excellent job in filling in to let us see what the time period was like, the customs, and the people.
I knew to some degree the story of Mary and Joseph's journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem prior to seeing this film.
What I didn't know was how I would like the movie.Released on the first day of the Advent season, Catherine Hardwicke's The Nativity Story hit theatres with no intention of trying to convert audiences into Christianity or to make waves in the media.
Far away, the Three Wise Men, Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior, begin their journey across the desert to Judea, following the star that will hopefully lead them to "the king".What is most appealing about the film is that just about everyone knows how the story goes, yet when the moment of birth draws closer and closer, its as if you are hearing it for the first time.
So OK, it's a faithful rendering of a very brief New Testament narrative, with additional dialog that attempts to portray the Judeans of that time -- but beyond that, from a critical standpoint it's so god-awful even God would agree.I wanted to leave during the opening cheeseball villainy of Herod, but remained to the bitter end -- putting up with the swelling (make that sweltering) violin score replete with multiple interwoven Christmas carol themes, to the painfully uncomfortable comic relief of the three wise guys (sort of a weird astrological minstrel-show), to the climactic creche scene straight out of a bedecked mantelpiece from the 50's.As Mary, Keisha Castle-Hughes looks properly worried throughout (her upturned brows frequently reminded me of Olivia Hussey's similar turn at bat).
I think it is one of the best movie versions of the nativity story that I've seen, but its no "Passion".
Joseph's comment that the Temple 'used to be a holy place' was a nice touch of foreshadowing; the look the Wise Men gave each other as they offered myrrh to Christ sent shivers down my spine; and the children reciting a passage from 1 Kings 19 was both thematically appropriate and homey.For its many clunky moments and visually cheesy moments, I can't give this film an unqualified rank of 'good'; but as far as Scriptural integrity and subtlety go, it's possibly the best I've seen yet..
I thought they had chosen the right girl to play Virgin Mary very well besides Olivia Hussey in the film/mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth" from 1977; Keisha's portrayal was top-notch.The film also has excellent music and that's one thing I love in a movie is a very good soundtrack, as I said many times.
I'm not going to discuss the plot of this movie since probably most people interested in seeing it know the whole story and have heard it a couple hundred times.
It doesn't have the same quality that The Passion of the Christ does, but neither is it made poorly like some Christian movies (e.g. Courageos, Facing the Giants, and Letters to God) all of which have terrible stories and let the religiousness of their films limit them to an unholy degree.
It turns out to be even better, thanks to exceptional production values and a real resonance in terms of storytelling that brings both the era and the characters to life.The filmmakers don't go so far as to have the characters speaking in their original languages like Mel Gibson did for PASSION OF THE Christ, but everything else looks and feels great, particularly Oscar Isaac's and Keisha Castle-Hughes's very human Joseph and Mary.
This is, however, a very good movie, which moves along at a good clip and offers a reasonably accurate (albeit not perfect) telling of the biblical story of Christ's birth.That event, of course, actually receives rather short shrift in the Bible, restricted largely to the first 2 Chapters of Luke's Gospel and a few verses in Matthew's.
"The Nativity Story" is a sweet, simple, and family-friendly retelling of events leading up to the birth of Jesus.It's not a great movie.
(Pssst...wise men...a little to the right so we can see Mary.) Since the birth of Jesus was probably the second most important event in human history, it seems that a filmic rendering of the story should be as grand as the most important event (Christ's death and resurrection) was two years ago.
We should never down play a real story, and this movie does this way to many times.
I suppose movies like It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story, have their place. |
tt0077234 | The Big Sleep | Private investigator Philip Marlowe is called to the home of the wealthy and elderly General Sternwood, in the month of October. He wants Marlowe to deal with an attempt by a bookseller named Arthur Geiger to blackmail his wild young daughter, Carmen. She had previously been blackmailed by a man named Joe Brody. Sternwood mentions his other, older daughter Vivian is in a loveless marriage with a man named Rusty Regan, who has disappeared. On Marlowe's way out, Vivian wonders if he was hired to find Regan, but Marlowe will not say.
Marlowe investigates Geiger's bookstore and meets Agnes, the clerk. He determines the store is a pornography lending library. He follows Geiger home, stakes out his house, and sees Carmen Sternwood enter. Later, he hears a scream followed by gunshots and two cars speeding away. He rushes in to find Geiger dead and Carmen drugged and naked, in front of an empty camera. He takes her home but when he returns, Geiger's body is gone. He quickly leaves. The next day, the police call him and let him know the Sternwoods' car was found driven off a pier, with their chauffeur dead inside. It appears that he was hit on the head before the car entered the water. The police also ask if Marlowe is looking for Regan.
Marlowe stakes out the bookstore and sees its inventory being moved to Joe Brody's home. Vivian comes to his office and says Carmen is being blackmailed with the nude photos from the previous night. She also mentions gambling at the casino of Eddie Mars and volunteers that Eddie's wife, Mona, ran off with Rusty. Marlowe revisits Geiger's house and finds Carmen trying to get in. They look for the photos, but she plays dumb about the night before. Eddie Mars suddenly enters; he says he is Geiger's landlord and is looking for him. Mars demands to know why Marlowe is there; Marlowe takes no notice and states he is no threat to Mars.
Marlowe goes to Brody's home and finds him with Agnes, the bookstore clerk. He tells them he knows they are taking over the lending library and blackmailing Carmen with the nude photos. Carmen forces her way in with a gun and demands the photos, but Marlowe takes her gun and makes her leave. Marlowe interrogates Brody further and pieces together the story: Geiger was blackmailing Carmen; the family driver, Owen Taylor, didn't like it, so he sneaked in and killed Geiger, then took the film of Carmen. Brody was staking out the house too and pursued the driver, knocked him out, stole the film, and possibly pushed the car off the pier. Suddenly the doorbell rings and Brody is shot dead; Marlowe gives chase and catches Geiger's male lover, who shot Brody thinking he killed Geiger. He had also hidden Geiger's body, so he could remove his own belongings before the police got wind of the murder.
The case is over, but Marlowe is nagged by Regan's disappearance. The police accept that he simply ran off with Mona Mars, since she is also missing, and since Eddie Mars wouldn't risk committing a murder in which he would be the obvious suspect. Mars calls Marlowe to his casino and seems to be nonchalant about everything. Vivian is also there, and Marlowe senses something between her and Mars. He drives her home and she tries to seduce him, but he rejects her advances. When he gets home, he finds Carmen has sneaked into his bed, and he rejects her, too.
A man named Harry Jones, who is Agnes's new partner, approaches Marlowe and offers to sell him the location of Mona Mars. Marlowe plans to meet him later, but Mars's henchman Canino is suspicious of Jones and Agnes's intentions and kills Jones first. Marlowe manages to meet Agnes anyway and receives the information. He goes to the location in Realito, a repair shop with a home in back, but Canino, with the help of Art Huck, the garage man, jumps him and knocks him out. When he awakens, he is tied up, and Mona Mars is there with him. She says she hasn't seen Rusty in months; she only hid out to help Eddie and insists he didn't kill Rusty. She frees him, and he shoots and kills Canino.
The next day, Marlowe visits General Sternwood, who remains curious about Rusty's whereabouts. On the way out, Marlowe returns Carmen's gun to her, and she asks him to teach her how to shoot. They go to an abandoned field, where she tries to kill him, but he has loaded the gun with blanks and merely laughs at her; the shock causes Carmen to have an epileptic seizure. Marlowe brings her back and tells Vivian he has guessed the truth: Carmen came on to Rusty and he spurned her, so she killed him. Eddie Mars, who had been backing Geiger, helped Vivian conceal it by first helping to dispose of Rusty's body, inventing a story about his wife running off with Rusty and then blackmailing her himself. Vivian says she did it to keep it all from her father so he wouldn't despise his own daughters, and promises to have Carmen institutionalized.
With the case now over, Marlowe goes to a local bar and orders several double Scotches. While drinking, he begins to think about Mona "Silver-Wig" Mars. He never sees her again. | revenge, neo noir, murder, romantic | train | wikipedia | The first movie version, while justly famed for the chemistry between Bogie and Bacall, really didn't come close to doing justice to Raymond Chandler's original novel.
The nudity, the drugs, the pornography, the homosexuality were all a little too strong for a mainstream movie of that time.In addition, Chandler's convoluted plot (originally derived from two or three separate short stories) didn't offer an easy screen translation, even before all the "juicy parts" were excised.So this must have seemed like a great idea.
Robert Mitchum had successfully played Philip Marlowe a few years earlier in "Farewell, My Lovely", and the MPAA ratings system meant that they could be as explicit as they wanted; the filmmakers could be more faithful to Chandler's novel *and* show us Candy Clark nude!
This makes me suspect that the earlier story was more deftly tailored to Mitchum's age and acting style, with lots of references to how old and tired Marlowe feels.
It made an interesting, coincidental "bridge" between the classic films noir and more recent movies about London gangs like "Snatch".But the deepest problem with this film is that while it follows the externals of Chandler's novel much more closely in terms of the plot and (most of) the dialogue, it fails utterly to capture the real heart and soul of the novel.
By contrast, in the Mitchum film, scene after scene features lines taken verbatim from the novel, but for some reason, they chose to leave out some of the best: "How do you like your brandy, sir?" "Any way at all." or the all-time classic, "A nice state of affairs when a man has to indulge his vices by proxy".
A three for a quarter grifter wouldn't even think such thoughts, much less know how to express them."The filmmakers may have closely followed the plot of the original novel in this version, but the fact that they could leave out writing like this, while clinging almost religiously to most of the rest of the book, shows that they couldn't have been more clueless about the real "core" of Chandler's writing.
Both Philip Marlowe and General Sternwood are American expatriates living in London rather than Englishmen, and they are played by two of Hollywood's biggest stars, Robert Mitchum and James Stewart.
To the purist Bogart fan there can be no substitute for the original, but to anyone else Robert Mitchum, himself a fine exponent of the film noir style during the early part of his career in the forties and fifties, seems like the best possible replacement.
There are also good performances from Stewart in the cameo role of Sternwood, from Oliver Reed and from Joan Collins.As a whole, however, the film does not live up to the standard of the original.
With the exception of Joan Collins (who could do sultry but sinister glamour in spades, even in her mid-forties), none of the female characters has the required touch of the femme fatale about her.As a London-based crime thriller, Winner's 'The Big Sleep' is not a bad film; it is better than most of its director's other thrillers and better than a lot of other British films from the seventies.
As a literary adaptation, this version, however, is much better.First of all, the plot stays true to the novel, whereas the older version had a plot ruined by the restrictions of the Hayes code, so that it contains numerous loose ends and unexplained developments.Secondly, Robert Mitchum impersonates Marlowe much better that Humphrey Bogart.
Mitchum plays this character with great understatement, as it should be done, while Bogart makes Marlowe just another hard-boiled detective, which could be replaced by any other one.Finally, both Sarah Miles and Candy Clark (while not being necessarily great actresses) bring over the lunacy of the Sternwood daughters beautifully.
Granted, that the secrets get darker, but the point is that so much is diluted.) Mitchum is a very, very fine actor, and when he was, say, 30 to 40 years old he would have been a good choice to play Marlowe; but an important aspect of Marlowe is exactly that he is so weary of spirit while still a relatively young man; we expect the old to feel old.
The most admirable thing about Chandler's stories is his language ("hard boiled") and the way he uses it to evoke a Los Angeles of the 30s and 40s that is so infected with corruption that, like a ripe pustule, we expect it to pop momentarily.And that's what makes it so difficult to transfer his works to the screen.
What he gives us is a standard yet below par mystery film that has little connection with the character Robert Mitchum so memorably played three years earlier in "Farewell, My Lovely." Unlike Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye," wherein Marlowe was portrayed as an anachronism in contemporary society, Winner's updates reflect nothing but his ignorance of and/or boredom with the material.
Most people would probably run a mile at the thought of Michael Winner getting his hands on the rights to film Raymond Chandler's masterpiece novel 'The Big Sleep'; but personally, I was rather excited at the prospect.
Michael Winner may not be a great director; but his films generally turn out to be entertaining in spite of not being brilliant, and with a story as strong as this one; I felt confident that The Big Sleep would be a good film.
Among the names in the cast list are Oliver Reed, John Mills, Joan Collins, Richard Boone and Edward Fox. The film is lead by Robert Mitchum, who while not as great as Humphrey Bogart, still makes an excellent leading man and there's also enough room in the cast for an aging James Stewart.
Shop-worn, hard-bitten but with a kindly and chivalrous streak within; aging but still very vital and with a solid 'authority'(for want of a better term) in the role, Mitchum made as perfect a Philip Marlowe as has ever graced the screen - in 'Farewell My Lovely'.Unfortunately, in this film he probably won't impress you in this way but that is not his fault; it's the screenwriter's.
The gritty world in which Marlowe lives is not a very good fit for the English countryside and the locales and characters lack the film-noir geist that Chandler's world evokes: the crazy mixture of glitz and sleaze, glamour and grittiness that was post-prohibition Los Angeles.Nonetheless, this film has a number of redeeming qualities; the acting is quite good, the plot adheres to Chandler's story much more closely than the Bogart/Bacall version and the scenes, cinematography and direction are competent and entertaining..
"The Big Sleep" '78 is not so much a remake of the earlier Howard Hawks favorite as a more faithful reading of the Raymond Chandler novel, albeit transposed by screenwriter / director Michael Winner ("Death Wish") to modern day London.
A very appealing Robert Mitchum reprises the role of private eye Philip Marlowe (after his portrayal in "Farewell, My Lovely" in 1975), hired by dying American military man General Sternwood (James Stewart, who makes the most of two brief scenes).
One thing I'm sure the audience must have felt is how the American expatriate general played by James Stewart could have one English accented daughter in Sarah Miles and an American accented one in Candy Clark?
Stewart's only scenes in the film are with Mitchum and when the two Hollywood icons died in successive days in 1997 clips from The Big Sleep were running for a week.
I think this film is well worth watching, if for little other reason than a clear plot line and Mitchum's delightful under-acting of the lead role..
***SPOILERS*** Re-made Raymond Chandler film-noir classic that just doesn't have the drama and suspense of the original Bogart/Bacall 1946 film that in some ways was even more confusing then the less effective 1978 remake.
We have in this version of "The Big Sleep" Robert Mitchum as the not so usual down on his luck, barley keeping up with paying the rent for his shabby office, private detective Philip Marlow.
Marlow drives around in a $50,000.00 car checking the time on his $5,000.00 Rollex watch and wearing clothes personally tailored and cut to size never getting dirty torn or even creased no matter how many beatings he take throughout the movie!This time around Philip Marlow is working his trade, as a PI, in the green rolling countryside of the 1970's jolly old England not the dark dirty and gritty streets of 1940's L.A. Coming to see his latest client sick and disabled millionaire General Sternwood, James Stewart, Marlow is told that he's being blackmailed by this local bookstore owner Arthur Geiger, John Justin.
Geiger has a number of nude photos of General Sternwood's wacky's younger daughter Camilla, Candy Clark, and is threatening to make them public if the General doesn't pay him 10,000 Pound Sterling.We, and Philip Marlow, see right away that Camilla is a bit off her rocker but what we don't realize is that General Sternwood is really interested in finding her missing husband Rusty Regan, David Seville, whom he seems to have become very found of in his stories about himself and his exploits as an Irish patriot.
Besides Camilla there's also the Generals slightly nymphomaniac older daughter Charlotte, Sara Miles, who like the younger Carmilla is always making a play for the much older, and not at all interested, Philip Marlow that's keeping him from doing his job.Marlow tries to track down Geiger and finds him in his house, with a naked and goofy Carmilla, shot dead between the eyes.
It's later that Taylor is himself killed and, together with his car, thrown into the nearby river by an associate of Geiger Joe Brody, Edward Fox. Fox murdered Taylor in order to steal Geiger's film that Taylor had on him but at the same time not knowing that Geiger was already dead.The story leads into a number of different directions that has to do with a local British mobster Eddie Mars, Oliver Reed, and his club-footed and sadistic hit-man known as the Brown Man Lush Canino, Richard Boone, and members of London's sleazy and dangerous Red Light district that includes some of the late Arthur Geiger's gay lovers.
Yet, he has had the good fortune to work with some charismatic actors--Charles Bronson and Robert Mitchum come to mind.Mitchum is the only thing worth watching in Winner's hackneyed remake of The Big Sleep, a way too mod updating of the classic Bogart/Marlowe flick from the forties.
After years of slowly perverting the hard-boiled 40s purity of Chandler's creation with movies like Marlowe and The Long Goodbye that put Marlowe increasingly at odds with the modern times, the series went back to its 1940s roots in 1974 with Farewell My Lovely and introduced Mitchum as Marlowe, perfectly cast in all of his lantern-jawed, world weariness.
The script still crackles with remnants of Chandler's tough guy talk and Mitchum is still good as Marlowe, world-weary as all get out, yet willing to pitch in to help a dame, but the rest of it works less well and the lack of a noir visual aesthetic makes it all less interesting to watch, too.
If you liked Ryan's Daughter, you have to rent The Big Sleep, which reunites Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, and John Mills!
I like Robert Mitchum's previous appearance as Raymond Chandler's legendary private detective Philip Marlowe in 'Farewell, My Lovely' despite him being at least twenty years too late to do the role justice.
Bogart and Bacall's scenes together in Howard Hawks' original version really made that movie something special, and this 'The Big Sleep' doesn't even come CLOSE to recapturing that.
Mitchum is a good actor and does the role justice, and the English setting, although not good for puritan Raymond Chandler fans, isn't bad either.But, despite star-studded cast (James Stewart was a nice addition) this movie is boring.
It seems the director tried to be true to old-style Film Noir than Chandler, as so loses much of it's tongue-in-cheeck innuendos and pace.This movie was a big mistake..
Largely due to a great script (he adheres closely to the book despite the film being set in England) and the superb acting of Robert Mitchum.
Warning: This review may contain spoilers.When Michael Winner decided to remake Howard Hawks's 1946 classic version of Raymond Chandler's mystery novel "The Big Sleep", he must have known that comparisons to the original film would materialize and that the majority of them would not be in favor of his 1978 screen retelling.
Therefore, I recommend this one after seeing the stylish original to help better understand Chandler's complex story.Other benefits include relatively handsome production values and a good cast: Robert Mitchum(in his 2nd performance as detective Philip Marlowe), James Stewart, Sarah Miles(who unfortunately sports a very unflattering Donna Summer-style hairdo but hey it was the late '70s), Richard Boone, Joan Collins, Oliver Reed, John Mills and Richard Todd.
Don't expect the same playful chemistry that Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall shared in the original as the Marlowe/Vivian (or rather Charlotte as the elder Sternwood daughter character is named this time around) relationship is decidedly different.Warning: parents, pay attention to the R rating.
And any film with a cast that includes the likes of Robert Mitchum, James Stewart, Oliver Reed, Richard Boone, Sarah Miles, Edward Fox, Joan Collins, John Mills, Richard Todd and Harry Andrews carries the inevitable curiosity value associated with seeing so many stellar names in one flick.American private eye living in England, Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum), is hired by a wheelchair bound old man, General Sternwood (James Stewart), to solve a blackmail problem.
Had it not been transported to contemporary London, instead of to 1940's Los Angeles of Raymond Chandler's pen; it would have been a much better,interesting and more entertaining a movie.AS EVIDENCE OF what we are driving at, just take a gander at the previous Phillip Marlowe outing in FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (ITC/????/Avco Embassy, 1975) as proof.AND JUST WHY was such a change of venue or setting implemented as cornerstone of this filming of THE BIG SLEEP?
The only possible way of enjoying this version of Raymond Chandler's famed detective story is to avoid seeing the 1946 Howard Hawks production with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall or, if you have already seen it, to ignore that predecessor as much as possible.
But despite an interesting approach by the director and a fine performance from Robert Mitchum, the 1978 'Sleep' proves no better at avoiding the confusion of Chandler's novel.
While watching this film on DVD, however, I can imagine its theater audiences (without the help of a rewind button) becoming lost in the final 40 minutes, when Philip Marlowe makes his way through an overlapping and bewildering series of events.Robert Mitchum, who reprises his Marlowe role from 1975's 'Farewell, My Lovely,' is here an American investigator who opened shop in London after the Second World War. He is contacted by retired General Sternwood (James Stewart) of the U.S. Army, who has settled on an English manor with his two wild daughters, heavy gambler Charlotte (Sarah Miles) and nymphomaniac Camilla (Candy Clark).
Michael Winner, who wrote, directed, and co-produced this film, tries to keep things simple with the hope of Chandler's plot being easier to follow.
At least in my opinion, 'The Big Sleep' reaches such complexity and tries so severely to jam this information into 102 minutes that its entertainment value is greatly reduced.Robert Mitchum is completely at ease in his role as Marlowe and gives a charismatic performance, but there is limited material for the supporting cast to work with.
James Stewart offers little emotion in his role as General Sternwood; Sarah Miles gives a strong effort as the femme fatale who uses looks to (sometimes) get her way, but Candy Clark is made to look like a complete ditz rather than an emotionally unstable woman.
Aging and cynical private eye Philip Marlowe (superbly played with world-weary grace by Robert Mitchum) gets hired by the frail and crippled General Sternwood (a moving performance by Jimmy Stewart) to investigate a blackmail scheme that proves to be much more complicated than it initially seems to be.Writer/director Michael Winner relates the intricate and involving story at a steady pace, maintains an appropriately seamy tone throughout (such risqué subject matter as porn and homosexuality gets depicted with unwavering explicitness), stages the action set pieces with aplomb, treats the material in a respectful manner without ever resorting to either condescending kitsch or sentimental nostalgia, and makes neat use of the London locations.
Big Sleep, The (1978) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) is asked by General Sternwood (James Stewart) to track down a blackmailer who is using his daughters (Sarah Miles, Candy Clark) but after the blackmailer is found murdered the private detective finds a whole string of people who seem to be keeping one secret after another.
THE BIG SLEEP certainly doesn't come close to the Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall film but at the same time it's somewhat unfair to judge the two especially when you consider that this version was a lot closer to the original novel and features stuff that couldn't even be hinted at in the 1947 version.
I will admit that the story here is much better than the original movie as Marlowe and Mitchum seem perfectly well suited for the material.
Nonetheless, this version is not only an interesting movie in its own right, but actually seems far more faithful to both the plot and mood of the Chandler novel.Admittedly, Mitchum is no Bogart, but is more the imperturbable, world-weary, snappy Marlowe that readers love, while Sarah Miles, Candy Clark and James Stewart are so close to the characters in the book as to make comparisons with Bacall and company irrelevant. |
tt1598778 | Contagion | DAY 2.Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) is coughing in an airport lounge and gets a call from John Neal (Robert G. Beck), an old acquaintance who she just had sex with. A montage where we see several other people ensues.A young man in Hong Kong gets off a boat, sweating. He goes home to his family and his sister looks at him concerned.In London, a model gets sick and goes back to her hotel room. Hotel staff come into the room and find her dead on the bathroom floor.On a plane, a businessman comes out of the lavatory with a pained expression on his face. He is traveling back home to Tokyo. He is on a bus when he collapses to the floor, convulsing. His death is captured on a camera phone.The young man from Hong Kong leaves his apartment, coughing near several people in an elevator. He walks the streets, his vision getting more hazy. He walks into traffic and is hit by a truck and killed.Finally, in Minnesota, Beth comes home to her husband Mitch (Matt Damon) and son Clark (Griffin Kane), hugging them both.DAY 3Dr. Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) comes into work at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On the way in, he passes a janitor named Roger (John Hawkes) who he is on friendly terms with due to the football pool they have. Roger asks Cheever about his son since the school thinks he has ADHD. Roger asks if Cheever could look at him but Cheever says he is not that kind of doctor. However, he knows some people so he will try to refer a good doctor to Roger for his son.Meanwhile, Mitch goes to pick up from Clark from school from what they think is a fever. Mitch tells Clark he will beat it by Thanksgiving.At a news office a blogger journalist and conspiracy theorist, named Allen (Jude Law), is talking to an editor, named Lorraine, about the Tokyo bus incident. Allen thinks it may have to do with mercury poisoning in fish worldwide. Lorraine says they don't have the budget for this kind of freelance work but Allen says this story can go worldwide in 24 hours. Lorraine says she will pass it to another editor. Allen tells her he recorded this conversation and if she steals his story he will sue her.DAY 4Beth is at home, getting worse. She stares at a cup of coffee and tries to pick it up as Mitch talks about his day. She instead makes it fall off the counter and shatter. Mitch comes to help clean it up, when Beth starts to have a seizure. Mitch is scared, and he sees Clark at the doorway looking at his mother convulsing. Mitch tells him to go upstairs as he calls 911.At the hospital, Mitch tries to explain what happened and Beth's allergies when she has another seizure and Mitch is pushed out of the room. A doctor comes to see him later and tells him Beth has just died. Mitch is in shock and asks to talk to her, not computing the news. The doctor tries to explain that his wife might have picked something up in China but there are no health alerts there to match to any of her symptoms. The medical board is going to order an autopsy in order to determine what killed her. Mitch is aghast and screams, "What happened?!"Mitch is being driven home when he gets a call. His son is sick. He tells the babysitter to call 911. When he gets home, the babysitter says Clark had a headache so she put him to bed. By the time Mitch gets there, it is too late, his son is dead.DAY 5In Switzerland, Dr. Leonora Orantes (Marion Cotillard), goes to work at the World Health Organization. She handles a briefing on this unknown virus and the cases of infection in the U.S., China, London and Japan. She expresses the need for the WHO to be thorough in its investigations. She mentions Beth as being the potential start of the infection.Back in Hong Kong, the sister of the young man that was infected has his body cremated and goes to take his ashes away for burial via bus. A cleaning lady is checking the bus when she finds the girl dead. Her brother clearly infected her too before he died.In Chicago, Beth's lover John Neal is being carried out on a stretcher. He has been infected as well. His wife looks on in shock, wondering what is wrong.Two medical morticians do the autopsy on Beth, opening up her skull. They notice something strange about her brain. One of the men asks if he should take a sample. "Actually, I want you stand away from the table!" The other technician tells him. The technician tells his partner to call EVERYONE.DAY 6Dr. Erin Mears (Kate Winslet) is being briefed by Cheever on her job on the mysterious virus outbreak. She is to investigate and contain cases of infection. If she needs anything she can call him, no questions asked. Mears travels to Minnesota to be transported to a nearby CDC office.Mitch is taken back to the hospital and put under quarantine watch. His teenage daughter from his previous marriage, Jory (Anna Jacoby-Heron), arrives. They talk on a phone. Jory feels guilty of not being there when Clark died, but Mitch says it is not her fault. In addition, if she had been, she could have been infected too. She is all he has left. Mitch tells Jory to go home to her mother, but Jory says she will not leave him. She is staying with him.Dr. Erin Mears gives a briefing about the virus and the precautions they need to take. One woman asks if they are panicking about something they know little of. "We don't even know what to tell people to be afraid of." Mears notes that the virus is a contagion of touch. So the littlest things people touch and interact with, including each other, are potential harbours for infection. The problem, Mears says, is the carriers and the number they will potentially infect, the R-naught number. Flu is usually one person. Polio, pre-vaccine, was between four and six. Until they know more, this virus' R-naught number could be much greater.Two doctors, Ally Hextall (Jennifer Ehle) and David Eisenberg (Demetri Martin) go into a secure bio lab and look at the samples taken from Beth's body among others. Hextall says they need to send it to Dr. Sussman (Eliott Gould). Sussman is another doctor in a less secure bio medical facility then theirs. He is leaving when he is accosted by Allen about accusations that this virus is being manufactured as a potential profiting scheme by drug companies. Sussman tells him to make an appointment and insults Allen's journalism saying, "Blogging is graffiti with punctuation."DAY 7Cheever is met at the CDC doors by Homeland Security agents. He is briefed by their liaison, Lyle Haggerty (Bryan Cranston). Homeland Security believes the virus might be a terrorist action as it is the only way terrorists have not tried to kill people. Cheever is intrigued by the theory but unconvinced. Haggerty mentions that someone could try to weaponise the Avian flu but Cheever counters that by saying, "They don't need to. The birds are doing it for us."A news report states that the school Clark attended is being closed after three nurses and two other children die. A panic starts to form.Mears goes to the AIMM offices where Beth worked. Many interacted with Beth before she left the country for China, so their fears are assuaged by Mears. Mears notes none had direct contact with Beth after she came home. One remembers Eric Barnes, another co-worker, drove her home from the airport. Mears calls him as he is on a bus. She tells him to get off as he is infected. He waits at the stop until Mears arrives with a containment crew.Meanwhile, Mitch is being asked by a doctor about Beth. Mitch knows little of substance. The doctor asks about her Chicago layover, and if Beth knew anyone there. Mitch mentions that his wife was with John Neal before they married. Realisation hits Mitch. He asks if Neal is infected. The doctor is resistant but eventually nods. Mitch is stunned that his wife was cheating on him with her former boyfriend.Hextall and Eisenberg give a briefing to Cheever about the virus sample taken from Beth's body. It latches onto the host cell, taking over completely. The body doesn't know what to do and the virus continues to attack. They noticed there are traces of bat and pig in the virus DNA code so it mostly originated from an infected bat. Understanding the severity of the issue, Cheever orders Sussman to be shut down and their secure lab is the only place where research will be done. Hextall calls Sussman and reluctantly tells him to shut down and destroy his samples.DAY 8Cheever briefs the CDC on the outbreak on cases of the virus worldwide. The numbers of infected reach 80,000+ and could reach as high as 267,000.Allen continues to blog about the virus and how the government is conspiring with the drug companies to turn a profit on tragedy. He claims that a drug is available to treat the virus, but it is being suppressed by the CDC.Meanwhile, Dr. Orantes goes to Hong Kong. Her job is to track the movements Beth made while there. Her liaison is Sun Feng who is ambivalent as Hong Kong being the focal point of the viral outbreak but Orantes concludes it is Beth that started it all. After hearing several workers at a casino got sick where Beth attended, Orantes tells Feng to get tapes of the security footage. Feng mentions his rural village where he grew up is infected and his mother is sick.Meanwhile, Dr. Sussman defies orders and runs some further tests on the virus samples.DAY 12Hextall briefs Cheever on Sussman's findings. He was able to make a stable cultured version of the virus. He was able to do it by growing it in a particular bat cell line they didn't have. Now that they know what they are up against, they can start developing and testing vaccines. Cheever is outraged that Sussman defied orders. Realizing he might publish his results, Cheever asks what he wants. Hextall says he just wants credit for his work. He could have given the work to drug companies and made a fortune but he gave it to the CDC instead.The news report on the virus, now called MEV-1 and crediting Sussman for discovering the findings. The news stresses that government states that it will take potentially months for a full vaccine to be ready.Allen is contacted by a news source. They want him to continue his investigations on MEV-1 and the government's alleged involvement with the problem. Allen agrees.Back in Minnesota, still in quarantine, Mitch asks Mears if he is immune since he has not shown any symptoms and he also asks why they cannot use his blood to make a vaccine. Mears tells him even though his intentions are noble, plasma vaccines are tricky and time consuming to make and are not guaranteed to work. Mears then travels to an inside stadium where they will place a triage center. Mears tells her liaison she will need three more locations like it. Mears calls Cheever. Cheever asks if she is fine.Mitch is at home with Jory when there is a knock at the door. It is a boy Jory likes, Andrew. Andrew has come to pay his respects with flowers for the deaths of Beth and Clark. Mitch says that while he is touched by the gesture, he cannot let him in because he could infect them. Jory is crushed, but Mitch tells her they have to be very careful.We see security footage of Beth in the Hong Kong casino, enjoying herself with several people. She is playing a casino game when she is asked by a man, the Japanese businessman who died on the bus, to blow on his chip for good luck. She does so.DAY 14Mears wakes up in hotel room coughing. She goes into the bathroom and takes her temperature, praying to God that she is not infected. But all her symptoms point to it. She calls the front desk and tells them to track down everyone who serviced her room. Mears calls Cheever and tells him she's infected. Cheever says he will do everything he can to get her home, but she should stay in her room for now. They hang up and Cheever is stunned that Mears is infected. He sent her there, so he feels responsible.Meanwhile, Mitch goes to a funeral home and learns that because his wife and son died due to the virus, the funeral home will not accept the bodies for burial. Mitch is shocked but the funeral director says there is nothing they can do. Mitch talks to his mother-in-law and discusses cremation but the mother in law wants her family to be buried together. His mother-in-law said Beth made mistakes by cheating but she did love Mitch. He has to forgive her. Jory texts Andrew, telling him how sad her dad is.We see more security footage of Beth in the Hong Kong casino. She calls John Neal saying she can get an earlier flight so they can meet up. She accidentally leaves her phone at the bar and a woman picks it up and hands it to her. It was the European model that was found dead in London. We see a table where she had sat and had drinks with several people. A waiter picks up the glasses. It is the young man that later died. That is how Beth infected them both.Orantes realizes that Beth is "Patient Zero" for the entire outbreak. Orantes asks about Feng's mother. Feng says she died. Orantes says she is sorry. They go to leave and Feng makes a call. On the way to their destination, Feng pulls her out of the car into a van at gunpoint. He tells her that his village is dying, and he and his friends are going to hold her for ransom for the vaccine doses when they are first produced. Orantes sees the remaining villagers. Most are children.Cheever attempts to get Mears out of Minnesota but hits roadblocks on every turn. The transport he was going to use is being used for a Congressman, as he learns from Haggerty. After that, all air travel is grounded. Haggerty tells Cheever there are plans in place to quarantine Chicago, but he is to tell no one until the government makes it public. The president is being moved underground, and congress is working online. There is nothing Cheever can do.Meanwhile, Allen is blogging live. He is apparently sick with the virus. He shows he is taking the homeopathic remedy Forsythia, and dips it into his water and drinks it. He tells his audience that if he is here tomorrow then it worked.Cheever speaks to his wife Aubrey (Sanaa Lathan) and tells her how bad he feels Mears is going to die and there is nothing he can do. Cheever then tells her to leave Chicago and not tell a soul where she is going. As he hangs up, he sees that Roger was standing there the whole time. Roger is disgusted with Cheever noting everyone has loved ones.Aubrey goes shopping for supplies when she is called by her friend whom she was supposed to meet for dinner. Aubrey reveals the real reason she can't come, urging her to not repeat it to anyone.DAY 18Around the U.S. people are listening to Allen and are lining up for the drug to suppress MEV-1 that Allen has alleged works. However, demand becomes insatiable and people begin to riot and loot all over the country.Mitch goes for groceries with Jory in a looted store. A woman coughs nears him and he tells Jory they need to leave. They get to the car without food. They attempt to leave the state but the National Guard is shutting down the roads. Even though they are not infected, no one is getting through. They are forced to turn around and go back home.Allen has been running around town in a bio suit seeing the destruction and decline of human civilization in the aftermath of the outbreak. He gets home to see Lorraine there, begging for the medicine he says helps, because she is pregnant. Allen says he has none due to a break-in, but he will get her some as soon as possible.Meanwhile in Minnesota, Dr. Mears is being told she cannot be moved out. She is laying on a cot in a triage center and very close to death. Next to her, a man is complaining of being cold, but the triage center has run out of blankets. Mears attempts to comfort him and give him her coat but cannot reach far enough. It falls right next to her bed as she shudders.Some hours later, Mears is shown in a translucent plastic bag. She is dead. Her liaison, Dave is nearby, holding flowers, trying his best to pay his respects considering she will be part of a mass grave. Dave notes they ran out of body bags days ago and they attempted to get some from Canada but they were unwilling to help.Dr. Cheever goes on TV with Dr. Gupta talking about the virus and its implications. Cheever notes coordination is a problem because each state has its own health organization and protocols. Allen is also on via satellite and when it is his turn to speak he goes on the attack, blaming the CDC and WHO for being in bed with the drug companies. Allen surmises that up to 1 billion people could actually be infected and/or die before it is over. He also reveals that Aubrey's friend posted on Facebook about him warning her to leave Chicago. Cheever cannot respond.Cheever talks to Haggerty. Haggerty says he has now just become a scapegoat. Furthermore, they have no choice to investigate the claims he leaked sensitive information to his wife. Cheever nods, understanding.DAY 21Eisenberg gets an email in the lab. A sample of a mutated strain of the MEV-1 virus has arrived from Africa; this strain is even more deadly. The death toll is rising into the hundreds of thousands all over the continent.Eisenberg and Hextall begin animal trials with monkeys to test vaccine variants. None work. They wind up bagging up a bunch of dead monkeys.We see the world practically abandoned at this place. Empty streets, airports, gyms etc. Everyone is staying in, afraid. The end of the world has begun.We see posters of Allen posted around the cities. One says prophet. The other says Profit (probably signifying he too is in it for the money).We see a shrine for Lorraine. She and her child died. Allen looks at it stoically. He apparently was unable to get her medicine in time (or possibly did nothing).DAY 26Mitch goes for an MRE handout when they announce they have run out. Riots ensue, and Mitch saves a woman from getting her food stolen. Mitch goes home and looks outside. He hears gunshots in his neighbors house. Looters come out holding rifles. They apparently killed the family inside. Mitch tries to call 911, but gets the runaround with an automated message. He hangs up.DAY 29Mitch goes around his neighbors to look for them. Finding none, he breaks into one of their homes and steals a shotgun for his and Jory's protection. When he gets home he sees Jory is gone and notices footprints in the snow moving away from the house. Jory is with Andrew making snow angels. Andrew tries to kiss her saying she is immune and he is healthy so there should be no problem. Just before he does, Mitch comes up and pulls him off her, telling him to go home. He tells Jory to get up and they go home.Back at the CDC lab, Hextall is talking to Cheever. She notes even with a complete vaccine it would take months for it to be viable for use, and many more would die in the meantime. Hextall notices the monkey treated with vaccine #57 has no symptoms. Vaccine #57 successfully protected the monkey from infection. Deciding to be proactive, she injects herself with the vaccine. She seems to be fine and goes to the hospital to visits her infected father. She refers to the Nobel prize winning research done by Barry Marshall where he intentionally infected himself with H. pylori to prove that stomach ulcers were caused by the bacterium. She tells him she has given herself the vaccine and spending time with him is the test to see whether it may protect humans. Her father cries, proud of his daughter and her work.We see another news report. The cure has been fast-tracked for approval and production. The first batch can be ready in about 90 days. The current death toll worldwide from the virus is estimated to be 26 million.DAY 131Aubrey is at home when it is broken into by looters. They want the MEV-1 Vaccine and think Cheever has it. Aubrey says 'no', they had to wait like everyone else. Cheever rushes home just as the looters flee. Aubrey was not killed. Cheever is afraid they touched her (as they are just about to receive the vaccine) but Aubrey denies it.Allen goes to see his news contact. Allen is still adamant that the vaccine should not be used. He has 12 million people who listen to him every day. Allen sees a garbage man and gets paranoid. He runs off. He was right to do so. His contact sold him out to the police in a sting operation. He is being arrested for securities fraud and manslaughter (probably for Lorraine) among other things.DAY 133Haggerty goes on television doing a vaccine lottery. Since they do not have enough yet they will hold lotteries using birthdays to see who gets it first.Cheever finds Hextall on a computer and tells her to take a break. Hextall says she cannot, not when he is being investigated, Mears died, and her father nearly died treating the sick. She clearly feels she doesn't deserve all the credit. She had plenty of help.Back in Minnesota, Mitch and Jory watch the lottery. Her birthday didn't come up so she is stuck in isolation for 144 days. She relates her woes to Andrew via text messaging.Back in Hong Kong, in Sun Feng's village, the captive Orantes has been teaching an art class. Feng pulls her away and tells her that the authorities have caved into his demands and it's time to make the exchange. They meet the contact on a deserted freeway near Hong Kong. 100 vacine shots for Orantes. Orantes is finally freed as she leaves with her contact and Feng and his men leave to go back to the village with the vaccines. At the airport, her contact reveals the vaccines they handed over were placebos and he gives her the real one. The Chinese told them to do it. This kind of action has happened a lot lately all over the world with desperate people holding doctors and other VIPs for ransom in order to receive the vaccine, but governments don't cater to terrorists. Orantes is horrified that they would condemn a village of mostly children to death and runs off... perhaps to catch her flight home, or perhaps back to the village.Mitch goes to a nearly deserted shopping mall, being stopped at several checkpoints to make sure he is immune by scanning his vaccination bracelet. It is unclear whether he really received the vaccine or simply the bracelet after he was assumed to be immune.In a police interogation room, the lead detective tells Allen they looked at his blood work. He was never sick with the virus; he has no antibodies to it. He lied about his condition. And now he has millions of people against the vaccination that could save them, instead using a drug that probably doesn't work at all. They are going to charge Allen with fraud put him in jail and his money he made ($4.5 million) will be locked away too. The detective says to Allen, "If I could lock up your computer too, I would!" Just then, another cop comes in. Allen apparently has posted bail with help from his millions of followers. A smug Allen leaves the police station, defiant and unapologetic to the end about his actions.Cheever is presented two doses by Haggerty. One for him, one for his wife. Cheever says his wife will want to do them together. Instead, he gives one to Roger's son. Cheever explains where shaking hands originated; "It came from showing you didn't have a weapon in your hand and you meant no harm". Roger thanks Cheever, then shakes his hand. Cheever puts on the vaccine bracelet to keep the charade going. He goes home and gives the other shot to his wife.DAY 135Allen is seen back on the street resuming his video blog of video taping long lines at vaccination centers and then going back to his apartment to make more lies and groundless accusations about the U.S. government being responsible for the origins of the MEV-1 virus for personal profit to his millions of duped Internet followers.Things finally seem to be slowly getting back under control as worldwide looting and anarchy begins to wear off. The death toll from the outbreak is declining and people are slowly getting back to their regular lives. Hextall and Eisenberg are seen in the lab putting the MEV-1 virus into long-term liquid nitrogen storage next to some other nearly eradicated virus cultures, hopefully never to be seen again.Jory finds a box in her room from her father telling her to be ready at 8:00 pm. Inside there is a dress. Mitch is in the bedroom, looking for his camera, when he turns it on and sees pictures of Beth during that final business trip that cost her her life. He breaks down crying. Jory goes downstairs and sees her father has made up the living room for a makeshift prom night since she is unable to leave the house yet. The doorbell rings: it is Andrew, who got the vaccine and is now sporting his vaccination bracelet proudly - they can finally be near each other. He is going to be her date for the night. Mitch goes downstairs to take pictures of Jory and Andrew. Mitch watches them dance. In that moment, there is hope for the future.A final flashback occurs. We finally see what caused the global epidemic. A construction crew from Beth's company AIMM was cutting down trees in a forest in China. That caused some bats to fly out. One bat was infected with the virus. It grabbed a piece of banana and perched above a pig's pen. It dropped the banana piece which we are to assume had the virus on it. A pig eats it and is eventually slaughtered at market for food. A chef handles the dead pig, touching the inside of the infected pig's mouth with his bare hands. He goes out to dining room and poses in a picture with Beth holding hands, transferring the virus to her and starting the chain of events.A title card states it is Day 1.... | boring, mystery, realism, murder, flashback, psychedelic, suspenseful | train | imdb | Stephen Soderbergh's latest direction, "Contagion" (2011), even though bringing less than expected excitement, is an absorbing movie to watch, efficient as a social and behavioural study, but no less as an accomplished collection of individual case studies, offering sufficiently thought-provoking arguments, such as the fact that--despite all the scientific advances and exhaustive efforts of the thousands of specialists--humankind still stands pretty helpless in the prevention of new viral outbreaks and their many strains occurring globally, when even seemingly well organised societies easily slip into chaos, leaving all individuals to fend for themselves in the ultimate fight for survival, all further fuelled by unstoppable leaks (however, lucrative sensationalism, as well) on an almost inevitable, mutually supportive (money and power shouldn't mix, but mostly they do) corporal and governmental cover-ups.
Surely it is a disturbing reminder that even at the most difficult of times, humanity's good traits still get so easily overpowered by the seed of all evil--selfishness and greed.Many good actors partake in the movie: Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Jennifer Ehle, Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Elliott Gould, to name a few, though one cannot expect remarkable character development when action is dispersed and story spread on so many leads.
The way they work together and separate is impressive and makes for a very strong overall narrative.Soderbergh takes a very minimalist approach to Contagion, steering clear of anything flashy or exaggerated and avoiding over-dramatic relationships and big budget set pieces.
I can see why some people might be a bit disappointed in this movie, because it's a pretty realistic on a pandemic, without a main heroic character or even action really.
The way the story cuts between these different story lines kept me from getting bored, and nothing that happens feels unrealistic.So while it's a movie I don't really need to see again, it's good to experience once.
I think some characters got too much time – in particular I felt that Law's blogger was given too large a chunk of the time considering his small role in the global situation – the guy who discovers a way to manufacture the virus is in the film for seconds (despite being played by Gould) but yet a blogger is front and center?
Soderbergh's direction is effective and nicely clinical, it makes the approach of the film and I enjoyed his handling of it.Contagion is not a brilliant film by any means, nor is it the one to come to if you're expecting high octane thrills, but it is enjoyable in a very clinical cold way.
I felt like I had seen it before in similar movies, and there was no main protagonist/bad guy to fight against (well, besides the virus itself, of course!) The film made me think about germs, diseases, and government cover ups.
Perhaps what made this movie come to life was the great acting by Fishburne and Jude Law. The two actors played the head of the health team and the weasel journalistic respectively, fighting each other to the vary core.
I'll mention here that Kate Winslet and Jennifer Ehle fans will be happy with the roles played by these starlets, while fans of Damon and Paltrow will be disappointed as their roles are much more diluted and calmer than what we've seen in the past.Now although the acting was good, the biggest factor that gave this movie character was how the crew made your imagination fill you with fear.
Regardless despite not being able to see the killer, the virus may in fact be one of the scariest killers I've seen in a long time.The other factor that I thoroughly enjoyed were the realistic steps and actions portrayed in this film that were used to combat the epidemic.
Outbreak works with the same material as the Contagion trailer, but actually gets the movie-parts (as in: "storytelling", "interesting characters", "character development", "plot", "action", "drawing you in and keeping you on the edge of your seat", "a sense of scale, drama and disaster" and even "going somewhere") right as well.
A star-studded cast really couldn't save this one from the mediocre pile~I found myself fairly bored all the way through~If you saw this on a Sunday afternoon (without the amazing cast) while flicking through the TV channels you would probably skip right past it~No real suspense, no real thrills, fairly dry and prosaic~Please don't watch this just because you liked the film Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman ~ i really would recommend just re~watching Outbreak~I bumped up my star rating to 5 because of the cast but really that was generous~.
I can not imagine how people make films like "Contagion", especially at time when people think twice before paying for a movie ticket!
Dedicated doctors like Ellis Cheever (Laurence Fishburne) deal with the crisis as pragmatically as possible, while we see how it affects ordinary people like Matt Damon, in the role of Paltrows' husband."Contagion" is an interesting film, worth seeing, that attempts to show the more serious, "realistic" aspect to stories such as in "Outbreak" (1995).
While some time is made for personal drama for assorted characters, Soderbergh and Burns would rather show you how places like the World Health Organization and the Centre for Disease Control would function in such a case.
Just as we often see humanity at its worst during these times, we also see humanity at its best, as people like the Fishburne, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, and Jennifer Ehle characters diligently work to solve the problem.
This isn't a bio-thriller or whatever you'd call Outbreak but a more "realistic" view of how such an epidemic might go.However, the movie is a bit disappointing because after the gripping opening scenes, the story becomes ho-hum and moves in an inconsistent pace, practically screeching to a halt at the end.
"Contagion" also features pretty decent performances from a solid cast (so you have people like Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet as well as Paltrow and Law playing prominent roles) but to me it lacked power.
His character is simply one that's difficult to care about, as are most of the other characters.I could go on an on about good actors wasted in a bad film: Kate Winslet handing a sick person her blanket off her own death bed (yeah, we get it: She's a person that thinks about others, but that's why she's a doctor)...Paltrow, so excellent in so many movies, reduced to an adulteress that has zero character development, yet we're expected to actually care for her...Laurence Fishburn, whose character is incredibly egocentric, looking out only for himself and those around him until Soderbergh figures out he should be imbued with a shred of compassion to tidy things up at the end.
While the movie avoids those big emotional scenes where the music swells up, there are amazing little touches, like a character's incomprehension of a loved one's death or a dying woman trying to help a fellow patient.
The movie actually got me interested in how things like this work and made me want to learn more about sicknesses, diseases, viruses, etc.
Contagion is a frightening realistic procedural thriller about the spread of an airborne pandemic virus, its impact on an ensemble cast of characters played by a veritable 'Who's Who' of Hollywood and the subsequent race to find a cure.Like his earlier work 'Traffic', Soderbergh skilfully interweaves the various story lines into a bigger picture that breathlessly tracks and encircles the globe.
Contagion is a frightening realistic procedural thriller about the spread of an airborne pandemic virus, its impact on an ensemble cast of characters played by a veritable 'Who's Who' of Hollywood and the subsequent race to find a cure.Like his earlier work 'Traffic', Soderbergh skilfully interweaves the various story lines into a bigger picture that breathlessly tracks and encircles the globe.
I could go on; Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Ehle and John Hawkes all provide solid support in a starry cast.What makes this film so compelling is the way Soderbergh is able to show how unhygienic human beings are and how easy it is to create a pandemic.
I could go on; Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Ehle and John Hawkes all provide solid support in a starry cast.What makes this film so compelling is the way Soderbergh is able to show how unhygienic human beings are and how easy it is to create a pandemic.
The televised national lottery in the film is something that I could see happening in the interests of fairness and impartiality when the supply of vaccines is unable to keep up with demand when life and death is only one injection away.At the film's closing credits one thing stands out and that is the unheralded and heroic work of the thousands of doctors, microbiologists, virologists and vaccine researchers around the world who labour night and day to minimise the effects of such a pandemic occurring which might wipe out the human race.
The televised national lottery in the film is something that I could see happening in the interests of fairness and impartiality when the supply of vaccines is unable to keep up with demand when life and death is only one injection away.At the film's closing credits one thing stands out and that is the unheralded and heroic work of the thousands of doctors, microbiologists, virologists and vaccine researchers around the world who labour night and day to minimise the effects of such a pandemic occurring which might wipe out the human race.
Contagion is full of many off putting moments, and Soderbergh has great fun expertly grossing us out, while telling a story, vetted by experts, we're told, that seems all-too plausible.The film is shot as a docudrama, and it certainly propels you through its sub-two-hour running time: You'll never be bored, except perhaps during a dead-end subplot about a kidnapping in China.
Law, Winslet, Fishburne, and Cotillard are not ordinary folks like us which somewhat diminishes the power of the tale, while unknown actors would have made more impact to the movie audience and the catastrophe that literally plagues mankind.Still, the actors supply their craft well and the film has its share of terrifying moments and imagery from the masterful vision of its director: A child's hand print left routinely on a metal door.
The scientists begin a fight against time."Contagion" is a sort of "Full Frontal" of the outbreak movies, with a collection of cameos of great actors and actresses but that never works.
This film is about an outbreak of a previously unknown virus that is highly contagious and lethal."Contagion" tells a story that spans 135 days around the world, focusing on many characters.
If not, then you are likely to forget Contagion, Steven Soderberg's germ-based disaster movie.In the opening scene, Gwyneth Paltrow unleashes a fast-acting lethal virus on Western civilization, and before long, Laurence Fishburne is making important decisions as Matt Damon's dejected everyman protects his daughter, and a uniformed Bryan Cranston makes concerned faces.
No actor successfully escapes from the one-dimensional script, although Damon comes close with his 'grieving husband,' as does Kate Winslet, who is underused.Despite this, Contagion still remains a relatively entertaining popcorn movie, and its realistic take on the disaster-film genre is a welcome change from more recent and hammy ones: Roland Emmerich's 2012 and the Spierig brother's Daybreakers come to mind.
It's also very pointed politically about things like morals and the pharmaceutical companies, and how certain countries utilize different unorthodox techniques to force and outcome, all these while under the same breath demonstrating through the different story arcs the workings of respective CDCs, how health experts go about their job scopes in the WHO, providing a macro as well as a micro look at the issues at hand to save mankind from eradication.Most will be drawn by the trailer or poster which have boasted an A-list star-studded turnout, with the likes of Marion Cotillard, Laurence Fishburne, Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and even cameos by Josei Ho and a supporting role with Ng Chin Han of Singapore who seems to be going places these days in Hollywood, though if one compares his outing here and in The Dark Knight, he may be getting stereotyped with the roles being offered.
The first time I heard about "Contagion" was on a Movie News Site describing the film as a story about a virus epidemic taking place around the world; I was immediately intrigued because the plot reminded me of "Outbreak" and I loved that movie.
The story kept me intrigued through the whole movie, the score was excellent and creepy, and character development was solid (I was most intrigued by Marion Cotillard's Character the most and wanted to know more about her and her mission but sadly she had the second least screen time just ahead of Gwyneth Paltrow's Character) which leads to my only complaint about the film was its runtime and lack of some character's screen time.
I saw Contagion in IMAX, thinking what was built up to be an 'action thriller' with such an all-star cast would be best experienced on the extra-large screen.It's difficult to describe many of the downfalls without revealing anything about the story itself, but suffice it to say that walking into the theater expecting a movie that's going to thrill you with exciting action scenes, involve you through deep character development/interactions, and spur emotions with a breathtaking climax, you will be extremely disappointed.
Having read some of the reviews and with a cast of first rate actors/actresses I thought I would be in for an entertaining evening - alas no - weak science - little characterization - emotionally flat - dealt with a number of themes but in no detail - almost cartoonish at times - it was however nicely shot - I left wondering what Soderbergh was trying to show me - yes it was pleasant not to watch Hollywood hyperbole but the trouble was there was nothing in its place - overall the very dull documentary approach left me cold - I think it must be Soderbergh's style as I didn't find Traffic very entertaining either.
Boring and flat.Turns the "real" world on it's head by asking you to believe that the US government/CDC/pharmacy industry is all knowing and completely benevolent...and doubters are evil.It's so low key that when a solution to the film's "crisis" is discovered...it is so down played you're not even aware that it worked until much later.This kind of weak story-line happens more than once.For certain, it's not as bad as "Howard the Duck"...but it comes VERY, VERY close..
Let's look at a few, shall we; Gwenyth Paltrow's role was just too shallow to judge and if you've watched this movie you'll know why.Matt Damon's performance was just FINE, but although he had the greatest number of opportunities to connect with the audience; he failed to do so every single time...maybe the only thing we seem to understand is that he's a father trying to protect his kid, but that's about it.
We feel like she's a good character in many ways, but then we're never really given the chance to really know her or to even understand what she's doing in the movie; other than of course carrying out her work duties.As for Jude Law, his character leaves us just clueless.
The end result was half-hearted because none of the characters had any chance to evolve or shine on the screen, and the story was jumpy, trying to be everywhere at once.Sure, they had a great bunch of people on the cast list, lots of nice actors and actresses, well-established names, however, the performers just had very little to work with in their characters, and that put the movie back a notch.
It's mostly a psychological disaster film, and at one point, it feels like something of a docudrama, and then it morphs into a humane psychology story, and has overtones of the power of paranoia and fear that start when the film begins, and don't end until the last, satisfying moments."Contagion" is director Steven Soderbergh's first feature this year.
The film has Matt Damon, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Gwyneth Paltrow and many others.
Starring Matt Damon as Mitch Emhoff and Kate Winslet as Dr. Erin Mears, the movie follows the spread of a dangerous new virus over an actual epidemic scenario, from origin to vaccine.
First I watched this movie with high hopes and to be honest i did not liked it very much,in fact it might have been one of the worse Virus type infectious kind of thing movie I've seen in a long time (not counting SY-SY Chgannel productions)!!Not even the Stardom used in the cast was enough to make out of this a good movie,it wasn't all bad though,in fact it had great potential but it was absolutely wasted with a slow rate of marking events,the events happened at light speed but none of it actually made an impression on me,except for the death of a vital character in the film!!In conclusion,Nothing new came out of this movie,absolutely nothing,we all seen everything that happened in other movies and far better achieved!!So my rating for this movie is a 4 but it could have been an 8,if they have only managed to make a connection with the viewer and got in a bit of suspense!!.
The cast is top-notch with Laurence Fishburne, Kate Winslet, Jennifer Ehle and Marion Cotillard all working to combat the virus, Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow as victims, and Jude Law as a blogger with an unorthodox solution.
My personal favorite is 28 Days Later (2002), in which the result of the epidemic is an interesting array of zombies.In Contagion, Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, among many other stars, try their best while the film plays down the drama and plays up the process of finding the disease's source and a vaccine to counter it.
As you would expect from Soderbergh, Contagion is a slickly made film, with an intelligent and taut script, efficient directing and a well paced and interesting if sometimes wordy story.And I can't not mention the cast. |
tt0091763 | Platoon | Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young American who has abandoned a privileged life at a university to enlist in the infantry, volunteering for combat duty in Vietnam. The year is September 1967. Upon arrival in Da Nang, South Vietnam, he sees dead soldiers in body bags being loaded into his plane, but more distressing to him is the shellshocked state of a departing soldier with the "thousand-yard stare." Taylor and several other replacements have been assigned to Bravo Company, 25th Infantry division, "somewhere near the Cambodian border." Worn down by the exhausting work and living conditions, his enthusiasm for the war wanes quickly and he develops an admiration for the more experienced soldiers, despite their reluctance to extend their friendship.One day, another new arrival, platoon commander Lieutenant Wolfe (Mark Moses) discusses the plans for a patrol later that night with the platoon sergeants: the compassionate Sergeant Elias (Willem Dafoe), harsh but hard core Staff Sergeant Barnes (Tom Berenger), cowardly, sycophantic "lifer" Sergeant Red O'Neil (John C. McGinley), and drug addict Sergeant Warren (Tony Todd). Barnes and Elias argue over whether to send the new men out on a patrol that is likely to be ambushed. O'Neil insists that the new troops go out instead of several men under him who are nearly finished with their tours of duty. Barnes agrees, only on the condition that O'Neil goes out as well.That night, North Vietnamese soldiers set upon Taylor's sleeping unit. Gardner (Bob Orwig), a fellow new recruit, is killed, and another soldier, Tex (David Neidorf), is maimed. Despite having passed the watch duty to Junior (Reggie Johnson), a more experienced but consistently irresponsible soldier who fell asleep, Taylor is blamed for the casualties (O'Neil is also to blame, having thrown the grenade that maimed Tex). Immediately after the fighting, Taylor discovers a light wound to his neck, and he is sent to the field hospital for treatment.A few days later, Taylor returns to his unit from the hospital and, through a soldier named King (Keith David), gains acceptance from the "heads", a tight-knit group led by Elias that socializes, dances, and takes drugs in a private bunker. Next door, Barnes leads the more traditional members of the unit whom drink beer and play cards and don't smoke marijuana. Taylor becomes a more seasoned soldier as the patrols continue and soon no longer stands out amongst the others.During one patrol on New Years Day, January 1, 1968, the platoon finds what appears to be an abandoned bunker. Elias explores a series of tunnels connected to the bunker. Two members of the platoon, Sandy (J. Adam Glover) and Sal (Richard Edson) are killed when they stumble upon a booby trap attached to a box of documents. Shortly after, a soldier named Manny Washington (Corkey Ford) goes missing. His mutilated body is found tied to a post close by. The platoon is infuriated by the senseless death of their comrade and are ordered to report to a nearby village of South Vietnamese citizens.The platoon reaches the village, where a food and weapons cache is discovered. The other soldiers explore the village. In one house, Taylor discovers a mute and mentally disabled boy and his mother hiding in a hole beneath the floor. Taylor harasses and taunts the retarded boy by shooting his rifle at his feet, but stops himself short of killing the boy. However, Bunny (Kevin Dillon) takes over and beats the boy to death with his gun, even though Sgt. O'Neil orders them to leave the hut. While questioning the village chief, Barnes loses his patience and senselessly kills the man's wife despite his denials that they are aiding the Viet Cong. Barnes is about to murder the man's young daughter to force him to tell them to where the enemy is when Sergeant Elias arrives at the scene and starts a fistfight with Barnes. Lieutenant Wolfe, passive during the shooting of the wife, eventually ends the fight, and relays orders from his own superior officer to burn the village. As the men leave, a group of four soldiers, including Bunny and Junior, drag a young Vietnamese girl into the bushes with the intention of raping her. Taylor comes upon them and stops the group from raping the girl. His comrades ridicule him for stopping them.Upon returning to base, Elias reports Barnes' actions to Captain Harris (Dale Dye), who cannot afford to remove Barnes due to a lack of personnel. However, Harris threatens to court martial Barnes if there is evidence that he murdered an unarmed civilian. O'Neil and Bunny, nervous about the possibility of an investigation, speak to Barnes and Bunny suggests "fragging" Elias. A narrating Taylor speaks of this as "a civil war in the platoon. Half with Elias, half with Barnes." Taylor talks with Elias one night and Elias tells him that the United States is due for a loss in war because they'd been mostly successful in past wars. He also confesses that he's disillusioned with America's mission in Southeast Asia, that he used to believe it was winnable even a few years ago, but knows now that it's not.On their next patrol the platoon is ambushed and pinned down in a firefight by unseen enemy soldiers. Flash (Basile Achara) is killed and Sergeant Warren (Tony Todd) and Lerner (Johnny Depp) are badly injured in the resulting skirmish. Lieutenant Wolfe calls in wrong coordinates for artillery support, resulting in the deaths of Fu Sheng (Steve Barredo), Morehouse (Kevin Eshelman), and Tubbs (Andrew B. Clark) and the severe wounding of Ace (Terry McIlvain). Big Harold (Forest Whitaker) has his leg blown off by a trip-wired booby trap while trying to escape the artillery barrage. Elias, with Taylor, Rhah (Francesco Quinn), and Crawford (Chris Pedersen), go to intercept flanking enemy troops. Though Lt. Wolfe is commanding officer, Barnes takes command. He orders the rest of the platoon to retreat to be airlifted from the area, and goes back into the jungle to find Elias' group. After sending Taylor, Rhah, and Crawford (who has been shot in the lung) back, Barnes finds Elias. The two stare at each other for a few moments and then Barnes fires three rounds into Elias' chest and leaves him for dead. Barnes runs into Taylor and tells him that Elias is dead and that he'd seen his body nearby. Barnes orders Taylor back to the landing zone. After they take off, the men see a severely wounded Elias emerge from the jungle, running from a large group of NVA soldiers. He dies after being shot several more times by the NVA while the American helicopters futilely attempt to provide him cover overhead.At the base, Taylor tries to talk his dwindling group of six "heads" into killing Barnes in retaliation, claiming that when he'd met Barnes in the forest after shooting Elias, that the look on Barnes' face told him the truth. While King agrees, Doc Gomez (Paul Sanchez) believes they should wait for "military justice" to decide Barnes' fate. Rhah reminds Taylor how much he admired Barnes when he first arrived, and that Barnes isn't meant to die, noting that on several previous occasions Barnes has sustained wounds that ought to have proved mortal: "the only thing that can kill Barnes, is Barnes." Barnes then appears, very drunk with a bottle of bourbon, having overheard Taylor calling for his murder. He enters the room, daring them to kill him. No one takes up the offer but as Barnes leaves, Taylor attacks him. Barnes quickly gets the upper hand, pins Taylor down and holds a knife to his face. Rhah urges him not to do it, telling Barnes he'll be court-martialed and imprisoned, and he leaves, slashing Taylor under the eye.A few days later, the platoon is sent back to the ambush area in order to build and maintain heavy defensive positions against a potential attack. Rhah is promoted to Sergeant, commanding the remains of Elias' squad. The platoon is so severely weakened, though, that there are numerous gaps in their defense. When this fact is pointed out to him, Lt. Wolfe only replies that he doesn't "give a fuck" any more. The troops try to prepare for the incoming battle, during which they know the majority of them will die. Just hours before nightfall, King is allowed to go home as his tour of duty has come to an end. O'Neil tries to use Elias' R&R days for himself in order to escape the impending battle (in which he believes he will die). When he asks Barnes for permission, Barnes refuses, saying, "Everybody gotta die some time, Red." Junior tries to escape the battle by spraying mosquito repellent onto his feet and passing it off as trench foot, a ploy that Barnes recognizes right away. Bunny states that he feels no remorse for the murders he has committed, saying that he enjoys Vietnam, and goes on to proclaim himself to be "Audie Murphy", a famous and highly decorated World War II hero.Francis (Corey Glover), one of the last few remaining "heads", is assigned to the same foxhole as Taylor. That night a large attack occurs and the American defensive perimeter is broken and the camp overrun by hundreds of attacking North Vietnamese troops. Taylor and Francis take on and cut down several attacking enemy troops until they both pause when they hear signal whistles from the unseen NVA sergeants ordering their men to cease fire. Hearing a Vietnamese voice over a bullhorn and understanding that the NVA are ordering RPGs up to the line to blow up the foxhole they are in, Taylor grabs Francis and both of them crawl out of the foxhole seconds before it's hit by an RPG. Taylor and Francis then attack and kill several enemy soldiers that overrun their destroyed foxhole until Taylor loses it during the fight and charges off into the carnage, shooting one enemy soldier after another.Meanwhile, the NVA attack against the base continues relentlessly. The command bunker is destroyed by a NVA suicide bomber (Oliver Stone makes a cameo as the doomed battalion commander inside the bunker). During the massed North Vietnamese Army attack, many members of the platoon are killed, including Lt. Wolfe, Parker (Peter Hicks), Doc, Bunny, and Junior when their foxholes are overrun. O'Neil survives only by hiding himself under a dead body. The desperate company commander, Captain Harris, orders the Air Force pilots to "expend all remaining" inside his perimeter. During the chaos, Barnes and Taylor come face-to-face. As a crazed Barnes is about to beat Taylor with a shovel, the two are knocked unconscious by the last-ditch American napalm attack.A wounded Taylor regains consciousness the next morning with a serious wound to his lower abdomen. He soon finds Barnes, who is also wounded after being shot in both legs during the battle. Taylor takes an AK-47 rifle from a dead enemy soldier and aims it at Barnes, who lays helpless on the ground. Nonetheless, Barnes feels at first not threatened, and he dismissively orders Taylor to call a medic. When Taylor does not comply, but instead continues to aim his weapon, Barnes (deranged to the last) dares him to pull the trigger by saying: "Do it!" Taylor shoots Barnes three times in the chest, killing him. Taylor then drops his rifle, collapses, and awaits medical attention.Interestingly, although not in the script, Taylor is seen on the verge of pulling the pin of a grenade that he found, only to drop it as reinforcements come to Taylor. (Charlie Sheen thought that Taylor would be committing suicide after killing Barnes. Oliver Stone thought that the mistake was good so he decided to keep it in the film.)Francis emerges from his foxhole and stabs himself in the thigh with a bayonet in order to be evacuated as a casualty. O'Neil is found by other Americans, and Harris (much to O'Neil's distress) gives him command of the platoon. As he is loaded onto the helicopter, Taylor is reminded by Francis that because they have been wounded twice, they can go home. Back at the bombed-out command post, hundreds of NVA bodies are being dumped into mass graves. After bidding farewell to Rhah, Francis, Tony Hoyt (Ivan Kane) and Ebenhoch (Mark Ebenhoch) (his last surviving friends in the platoon; the other survivors are Rodriguez (Chris Castillejo), Huffmeister (Robert Galotti), and O'Neil), Taylor boards his helicopter. The helicopter flies away and Taylor weeps as he stares down at the destruction, while he (from a future perspective) narrates that he will forever be in Vietnam, with Barnes and Elias battling for what Rhah called "possession of his soul", and that he believes he and other veterans must rebuild themselves, and find goodness and purpose in their lives. | psychological, murder, anti war, cult, violence, dramatic, action, revenge, historical | train | imdb | In Platoon, Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naive U.S. soldier who, upon his arrival to Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him.
No doubt, Platoon shows the Vietnam War was a big mistake, but being a fictional documentary on Vietnam is far from its purpose.The story is told from the point of view of Chris Taylor (solidly played by Charlie Sheen), a middle class kid who goes to Vietnam to do what he thinks is his patriotic duty.
Quickly we're introduced to the well-known facets of the Vietnam War: The lack of sense of purpose, the wraith-like enemies, the obvious prevalence of the uneducated and poor among the fighting grunts -- and, soon, we see how these factors combine to cause widespread low morale and some actions of more than questionable ethical value.Chris sees his platoon fragmented into two halves, each aligned with one of two men -- Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger).
Oliver Stone's Platoon is quite simply the best Vietnam war film ever made in my opinion.
Having served in Vietnam, the film is loosely based on Stone's time out there, and Taylor loosely based on himself.Full Metal Jacket showcases how inhumane the war was, Apocalypse Now turns it into a story about life in general, and hopelessness, but Platoon has everything.
It's certainly a better war movie than things like Wild Geese or The Dirty Dozen, simply because it's a little more real to what happens than those ones.Charlie Sheen has never been better than when he's acting for Stone.
Everyone else seems to have mentioned what makes PLATOON a classic anti-war ( Note it's anti-war , not anti American or anti soldier ) movie along with being a classic movie , so I won't go over old ground except to say THAT death scene is up there with all the other tear jerking scenes from 20th century cinema , don't be ashamed to say you cried If PLATOON has a flaw it's in its duality , there's the good Sarge/bad Sarge , good officer/bad officer , good white guy/bad white guy , good black guy/bad black boy etc which is maybe a bit clichéd and possibly leads me to believe Stone is making an excuse/reason that the Americans lost in Vietnam because that spent so much fighting each other rather than the VC ( Though I do concede I'm possibly misinterpreting that as an excuse or even a reason since no one will confuse the politics of Stone with the politics of John Wayne ) while Taylor's character comes across as being more of a literary device rather than a real human being , but these are minor flawsIt's a shame to see war films from the last few years devoid of scathing anti-war sentiments like the ones seen here .
What's to be admired about this film, is that Stone doesn't sweet-talk the story, with the good old American boys fighting for their country and facing brutality, instead he brings up a strong morality and humanity issue.
Many great war films of the Vietnam conflict are centered around these themes of blurred morality and the uselessness of war, and Oliver Stone's Platoon is among the most well known.
More broadly, Platoon analyzes the "duality of man" concept that has been studied in numerous other works, from fellow Vietnam War films like Full Metal Jacket (1987) and Apocalypse Now (1979), all the way back to the latter's source material and inspiration in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
Though I'm not a war movie fan, I thought Platoon was a solid film.Oliver Stone did a great job at directing, with perfect shots especially during the combat scenes.
Now on the other hand, I felt the movie could have used some extra dynamic script-wise, because even though it is a good storytelling, it is a bit linear.I rated Platoon 7/10, because I'm not fond of war films, but I have to admit it is a solid one that conveys emotion especially through Sheen's character..
It certainly appears at first glance that other than the deer appearing after the battle, and the talk of soul in Chris's/Charlie Sheen's final narration there is very little symbolism in the film
basically every thing is what it is.However, I believe that even if Mr. Stone didn't intend it, the fact that Chris picks up an AK-47 to kill SSGT Barnes is important.
By killing Barnes, it seems Oliver Stone might shed a different light on the comments Chris Taylor/Charlie Sheen makes at after the rampage at the village and the divisiveness it brought the platoon: `
I can't believe we're fighting each other when we should be fighting them!' In this view the Them' could be the establishment that created a world in which a Vietnam could take place.
Oliver Stone harnessed these experiences to make Platoon; a film where he could illustrate to everyone what Vietnam was like from his perspective.In my opinion, this is the best war movie ever made.
Ever since Steven Spielberg wowed the cinematic world and changed the aesthetic of the war movie forever with the exceptional opening 25 minutes of 1998's Saving Private Ryan - the film went downhill from there - audiences have come to expect the same grainy camera-work and ultra-realism of Spielberg's breathtaking vision whenever a battle is depicted.
While Oliver Stone's Platoon, which was once considered difficult to watch due to its unflinching depiction of the insanity of war, may not seem quite as brutal as it used to, it possesses one thing that no war other movie can boast - the guiding hand of a veteran.Stone did a tour in Vietnam which ended in 1968, changing the future writer/director forever.
Visceral and violent war film by Oliver Stone based on his own soldier experiences in Vietnam.
A very strong and tough Vietnam war film made by Oliver Stone who has directed his film in the form of Patrol Drama , a formula much beloved by filmmakers of Hollywood , War and western movies , and revived successfully by this great director .
As a shy soldier , Charlie Sheen in the lead , arrives as a rookie in a veteran platoon led by two very different sergeants , the good boy : Willem Defoe , and the bad guy : Tom Berenger.
Platoon was the first Hollywood film to be written and directed by a veteran of the Vietnam War. Stone fought for years to get this movie made.
Depp (his helmet reading, "Sherilyn", a tribute to Sherilyn Fenn, whom Depp was dating at the time) is OK, but he fades into the background against the bigger performances, despite a key scene.Not only did Platoon win Best Picture and Best Director for Stone, it grossed $138 dollars at the domestic box office to end 1986 as the 3rd highest grossing movie of the year..
Platoon is one of the most realistic war films already made , is the kind of film that have neither protagonist ( Charlie Sheen may be even considered a protagonist, more in my opinion there is no ), the direction of Oliver Stone is very good, cast is very good, Charlie Sheen , Willem Dafoe , Forest Whitaker , John C.
With no combat experience compared to the other men in his platoon including the hot-tempered Staff Sergeant Robert Barnes (played by Tom Berenger), the more kind- heart Sergeant Elias (played by William Defoe), the aggressive and ruthless Lieutenant Wolfe (played by Mark Moses), and fellow African-American Big Harold (played by Forest Whitaker); Chris faces the dehumanizing effects of the war and the moral dilemmas of men in active combat as the platoon fight their through the grueling environment and atmosphere of the Vietnamese battle front.War is ugly, and this movie certainly shows it.
And let's not forget William Defoe, an actor who isn't well known for placing good guy roles, yet manages to show pure charisma and humanity in his character; and Tom Berenger as Sergeant Barnes, a soldier with a cold heart against the both his comrades and the Vietnamese.Platoon is brutal, violent, and quite disturbing to sit through, but it is very effective and honest in portraying the horrors of the Vietnam War. Oliver Stone does a tremendous job on capturing the brutality of the hellish environment of active combat.
Platoon was also notable for being the first film about the Vietnam War to be written and directed by a Vietnam veteran.Based on Oliver Stone's experiences in the Vietnam War when he served in the US Army, Platoon is told through the eyes of Chris Taylor played by Charlie Sheen.
Taylor finds himself conflicted when the horrors of the war take its toll and following a raid on the village which many villagers are beaten, killed, and raped, Taylor and the platoon find themselves taking sides with Sergeant Barnes and Sergeant Elias.Charlie Sheen puts in an unforgettable performance in one of his early movies as Private Chris Taylor.
Controversies aside, many people forget that Charlie Sheen was brilliant in Platoon.Tom Berenger was previously known to play very likable characters but here he deserved an Academy Award nomination for his role as Sergeant Barnes, a man who refuses to be killed in the Vietnam War. Willem Defoe who made his mark frequently playing villains was also very memorable as the likable and compassionate Sergeant Elias.It was also great to see Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Forrest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), John C.
Platoon definitely shows Tom Berenger, Willem Defoe and Charlie Sheen at their finest and Oliver Stone's best movie as a director.
Director Oliver Stone based the film on his own experiences in the jungle and the end result was one of the most bleak, violent, unforgiving and brutal war movies made by then.The film might also contain the best performance from Charlie Sheen we've ever seen.
Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger and Charlie sheen give on of their richest performances in my favorite Oliver stone film ever!
(Tom Berenger, looking even more badass with a deep gash in his face that runs from forehead to chin) Somewhat acting as Chris' mentor is Sgt. Elias Grodin (Willem Dafoe), and the two provide (in the most rudimentary sense) good and evil influences as Chris experiences the every day horrors in the jungles of Vietnam; from the irritating bugs, inclement weather, to the terrifying combat with the Vietcong, to the gut-wrenching the ruin of a Vietnam village, mostly innocents.I thought that 'Platoon' was a good film it is obviously a film made before Stone's highly stylistic period (which he still appears to be in), and is instead a fairly straightforward film about the horrors of war.
Film Review: "Platoon" (1986)When I recall my first of several each time differing experiences of watching "Platoon", when the first time had been somewhere in the mid-1990s on crappy television set, I had been hooked to this War-Action-Drama directed by Oliver Stone, whose film made such an immensely-intense impression on my emotional state of existence that the universal themes of Yin and Yang, Dark and Light impersonated by the ingeniously-written characters of Sgt. Elias and Sgt. Barnes, portrayed to career-defining proportions for supporting cast Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger respectively, who both had been honored with Academy-Award nominations for a motion picture history-making conflict of dealing with utmost stress situations in the middle of an inglorious "Vietnam War" ranging from 1965 to 1975, when chances were that the United States became front-running in a world-wide way of living for all people; which then just got shattered by infusions of enraged society of rich-kid students and returning crippled as emotionally-handicapped war veterans.Director Oliver Stone, who had made military service on his own in the war-time season 1967/1968 for the benchmarks-stretching U.S. American government under 36th President Lyndon B.
Johnson (1908-1973), had written the original screenplay on his experiences in "The Vietnam War" by implementing on main character Chris, performed by 21-year-old pitch-perfect-cast actor Charlie Sheen, who like no others had been able to portray the loss of innocence from the very first arrival at an SouthEast Asian airport in hazardous as blinding sand-corn-dust swirling in mid-air under a tear-draining piece of music by Samuel Barber visualized by the director's brother-in-arm cinematographer Robert Richardson, when they join forces to shot film-roll after film-roll on an remote jungle island within the splintered soils of the Philippines in spring/summer of 1986 to chaotic but highly creative scene coverage in favors for a beat-pushing director over producer's Arnold Kopelson's concerns on his six million dollar budget, which then in Fall 1986 becomes miraculously a knock-out of a picture to be present to critical as box office successes in this razor-sharp two-hour final-cut editorial by Claire Simpson to be recommended to anyone, who cares for the art-form of cinema and wants to learn more on the eternal human condition of fighting not each other but ourselves.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend
From the opening scene of this movie we can tell that the main character played by Charlie Sheen is not even trying to hide his regret or fear he is in constant fear for his life and this was a very bold choice and a very good one, it's clear that Stone took from his own experiences in Vietnam to make this film seem more real and it payed of.
Charlie Sheen was excellent in this movie he does a really good job at portraying his character as a vulnerable and inexperienced soldier and it allowed the audience to relate to him more as a character and his one man war between his two sergeants is riveting to watch and gives us an impression as to how the war effected everybody in different ways, take Willem Dafoes character an upbeat sergeant trying to make the best out of this situation or Tom Berengers character a wounded, damaged soul having lost all hope of every regaining the humanity he lost.
Few times have a combination of Screenplay, acting and directing come together so perfectly, I love this movie it's one of the greatest and most realistic war films every made, platoon is one of my favourite movie and one of my favourite best picture winners.
This is what we see in Platoon.Charlie Sheen is a newly arrived private in Vietnam and through him Oliver Stone the director/writer of Platoon tells the story of his war.
Oliver Stone directed this powerfully told account of the Vietnam war that stars Charlie Sheen as recent recruit Chris Taylor, who arrives in Vietnam with enthusiasm, but quickly realizes that this war is not what he expected, as he is disrespected by the more seasoned soldiers for his inexperience, and shocked by the lack of purpose he finds in the conflict, which is personified by his two non-commissioned officers, Barnes(played by Tom Berenger) & Elias(played by Willem Dafoe) who hate each other, and are polar opposites in philosophy and approach.
It may not be as good as Apocalypse Now, but I think that this is defiantly one of the greatest war movies of all time.I first saw this and didn't notice that the main character was 21 year old Charlie Sheen, star of the TV show Two and a half Men, but I did recognize William Defoe from the movie Spiderman and I didn't recognize Tom berenger.
Platoon is certainly one of the best films about Vietnam War and Oliver Stone's best..
"Hill-1" also speaks from experience from being an infantry soldier Vietnam, and I cannot say that.I like a good war movie but I was tired of Oliver Stone's left-wing propaganda films so I waited until the '90s before finally seeing this on VHS.
Depressing and Raw. Platoon (1986) **** (out of 4) Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning Vietnam film has a new soldier (Charlie Sheen) arriving in the jungle not fully knowing what to expect and for the next year we follow his platoon as they lose one man after another.
How the twisted logic of war changes him and corrupts him and others in his platoon is the story of the film.To Oliver Stone's credit it can be said that this movie, first released in 1989, helped to shock a new generation of Americans into understanding just why our involvement in Vietnam was a tragic mistake and to warn us not to do anything like that again.
Oliver Stone, Platoon was name a "masterpiece" and one of the most realistic Vietnam war movies of all times.I did enjoy the village scene showing how crazy yanks are at yielding their way to scared the populations.Charlie Sheen memorable motto "They're just humans being..."man, showed what wars movie is all about.Charlie's great and all, but Platoon's thrill is in its supporting cast, namely Tom Berenger as a rather evil yet invincible Staff Sargeant, and Willem Dafoe as the unforgettably moral Sargeant Elias.
Charlie Sheen, while not a great actor, plays a wide-eyed soldier who wants to do good for his country and the world around him, who through his fellow soldiers sees the harsh realties of guerrilla warfare and the first-hand honors of the Vietnam War. In a monumental and iconic role, Willem DaFoe delivers his best work while Tom Berenger is stellar as the evil platoon leader.
Platoon follows Chris (Charlie Sheen) and his stint in the Vietnamese War, alongside fellow protagonist Sgt. Elias (Willem Dafoe) and cruel manipulator Sgt. Barnes (Tom Berenger).
Great Vietnam War film from Oliver Stone.
Platoon is the first Vietnam War film to be made by a veteran and was based on Oliver Stone's experiences.
Platoon is about what it means to be a grunt in the Vietnam War. A masterpiece by Oliver Stone, and definitively the best Vietnam War movie ever made.The good. |
tt0050861 | The Prince and the Showgirl | The film is set in London in June 1911. George V will be crowned king on 22 June and in the preceding days many important dignitaries arrive. Among those arriving are the 16-year-old King Nicholas VIII of Carpathia, with his Prince Regent father, Charles (Laurence Olivier), a secondary Prince of Hungary and widower of the Queen of Carpathia.
The British government realises that keeping Balkan country Carpathia in the Triple Entente is critical during the rising tensions in Europe. They find it necessary to pamper the royals during their stay in London, and thus civil servant Northbrook (Richard Wattis), is detached to their service. Northbrook decides to take the Prince Regent out to the musical performance The Coconut Girl. During the intermission the Prince Regent is taken backstage to meet the cast. He is particularly uninterested in engaging with the male actors and extremely interested in the physical charms of Elsie Marina (Marilyn Monroe), one of the performers, and sends a formal written invitation for her to meet him at the Carpathian embassy for supper.
Elsie arrives at the embassy and is soon joined by the Prince Regent, a stiff and pompous man. She expects a large party but quickly realises the Prince's true intentions – to seduce her over a private supper. She is persuaded not to leave early by Northbrook, who promises to provide an excuse for her to escape after supper. The Prince Regent turns his back on her during the supper, taking phone calls and addressing matters of state. He then makes a clumsy pass at her, to which she is accustomed and immediately rebuffs. She pointedly explains how inept he is and that she had hoped the Prince was going to sway her with romance, passion and "gypsy violins". The Prince changes his style and tactics, complete with a violinist. The two eventually kiss and Elsie admits she may be falling in love, rebuffing Northbrook's promised feint to help her leave the embassy. Elsie then passes out from the many drinks she consumed before, during and after her semi-solitary supper. The Prince places her in an adjoining bedroom to stay the night.
The following day, Elsie overhears a conversation concerning the young Nicolas' plotting with the German embassy to overthrow his father. Promising not to tell, Elsie then meets the Dowager Queen (Sybil Thorndike), the Prince's mother-in-law, who decides Elsie should join them for the coronation in place of her sick lady-in-waiting. The ceremony passes and Elsie refuses to tell the Prince Regent details of the treasonous plot. Nicholas then invites her to the Coronation Ball, where she persuades Nicholas to draw up a contract in which he confesses his and the Germans' intent, but only if the Prince agrees to a general election. The Prince is impressed and realises that he has fallen in love with Elsie. The morning after the Coronation Ball, Elsie irons out the differences between father and son. Her honesty and sincerity have inspired the Prince to finally show sincere love to his son.
The next day, the Carpathians must leave to return home. The Prince Regent had planned to have Elsie join them. In eighteen months' time, his regency will be over and he will be a free citizen. She reminds him that that is also the length of her music-hall contract. They both realise that much can happen in eighteen months and say goodbye. The ending is ambiguous, left up to the viewer to decide if they will meet again. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0451957 | Urban Legends: Bloody Mary | In 1969, three high school footballers tried to drug and kidnap their prom night dates. Their plan works with two of the girls but the third, Mary Banner (Lillith Fields), tries to escape. The football captain chases her into a storage room and punches her, knocking her out. Unable to revive her nor able to hear her heartbeat, he believes Mary to be dead. Panicking, he locks her body in an old trunk.
Thirty five years later, in 2004, this story is told among three school girls during a sleep over. One of them, Samantha (Kate Mara), had written an article in the school paper critical of football players' academic achievements and subsequently she, her friends, and her brother David (Robert Vito) are treated as outcasts by the rest of the school. They also jokingly conjure up Bloody Mary and the next morning all three are gone. After having been missing for one day, they reappear, waking up in an old deserted mill, with no knowledge of how they got there. While most suspect a hoax on the girls' part, Samantha and David suspects that it is a prank by football players.
While Samantha is haunted by visions of a dead girl bleeding from her head, several pupils die under mysterious circumstances resembling urban legends; for example, football player Roger (Brandon Sacks) burns in a sunbed, Heather (Audra Lea Keener), girlfriend to football captain Buck (Michael Gregory Coe), has spiders erupting from a swelling on her cheek, driving her to cut her face with a mirror, and football player, Tom (Nate Herd), is electrocuted while urinating on an old electrical fence, his ring finger being bitten or cut off. Buck blames these deaths on the Owens siblings. Before her death, Heather made up with Samantha and tried to tell her that this happened before. In her homework, Samantha finds notes sent to Heather about the disappearance of Mary Banner and the homecoming kidnappings of 1969, as well as notes referencing the events of the previous films. Browsing the school paper's archives, they find out that Mary was never found, that another victim committed suicide years later and that the third, Grace Taylor (Tina Lifford), still lives in town.
They visit Grace, who claims that Mary, or rather, her "life force", is exacting revenge on the children of the five people involved in the kidnappings but cannot (or will not) reveal the names of the perpetrators. While Samantha is prone to believe her, David remains skeptical and thinks that Grace is the killer. While sneaking around in Grace's house, he also found out that Grace produced or collected artwork on Urban Legend and identifies Grace as the originator of the notes sent to Heather. The siblings go to warn Buck, who admits that he and his mates orchestrated Samantha's disappearance and blames her for the death of his friends. He also reveals that his father, the football coach, was one of the kidnappers in 1969 but did not hurt Mary. Samantha, however, suspects that the coach was the one that killed Mary as she saw him put flowers on her headstone earlier. Her stepfather, who overheard her, tells her to reveal any solid evidence she has.
Meanwhile, an upset Buck tries to relax by drinking and watching movie in a motel. Falling asleep, he wakes up from hearing a dripping sound and discovers the corpse of his dog. He is attacked by Mary, who crawls out from under his bed and kills him with his broken bottle. Different rumours about his death are spread immediately.
Both siblings are trying to find clues about the fifth remaining perpetrator; Samantha by browsing through old photographs, David by visiting Grace again. Grace still refuses to reveal the names but directs him to the school archives. Going through the archives, he finds out the identity of the fifth person and rushes home, but finds Sam gone and is suffocated by a hooded man. Samantha meanwhile has visions of Mary again, revealing that the girl was not dead when she was locked in the trunk. and that she later awoke, realizing she was buried alive. The visions also reveal to Sam the whereabouts of the trunk.Sam visits Grace, who tells her to find and bury Mary's corpse and reluctantly agrees to drive Samantha to the school. While Grace is waiting in the van, Samantha finds the storage room and the trunk with Mary's corpse in it. The hooded man also appears and enters the storage room but Samantha locks him inside while carrying Mary's remains outside to the van.
Finding Grace unconscious, Samantha drives the van to the cemetery, where she begins to dig a grave for Mary under her headstone. Her stepfather, whom Samantha had phoned, also appears and helps her digging but suddenly hits her with the shovel. Suddenly Grace intervenes and tries to fight off Mr. Owens (giving Sam a chance to run) but he eventually knocks Grace out with the shovel. Pursuing his stepdaughter through the graveyard, Bill Owens (Ed Marinaro) reveals that he was the one that locked Mary in the trunk and that he also killed his stepson (Sam's brother), David. He finally captured her and is about to decapitate her when Mary, in her living form, appears. Smiling towards Samantha, she kisses him, then reverts to her ghastly form and drags him with her into the grave.
When Samantha wakes up, the grave is surrounded by police and medical personnel retrieving her stepfather's corpse. She and Grace are bandaged and treated for their wounds, and sitting together, console one another. It is announced that Bill Owens has died of a heart attack while trying to dispose Mary Banner's remains. | tragedy, prank, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0380389 | Goal! | The film starts with a clip showing Santiago Munez playing football as a child in Mexico. The same night, his family illegally enter into the United States to find a better living. Santi grows up in the USA and works with his father as a gardener. At night he works as a busboy in a Chinese restaurant. He also plays football for a small local team called AJFC. He goes to play a match one day after his work with his father, where he is forced to use a pair of cardboard pieces as shin guards as he cannot afford any. He saves his money and hides it in his shoes every night to purchase a football kit.The next day, while playing football, he is noticed by Glen Foy, an ex-Newcastle player, scout and car mechanic. Glen tells Santi that on the next match day, he will call an agent who was in US to set up a meeting with the Newcastle manager. The agent, Barry Rankin, does not turn up and lies that he is in a meeting. Later, Glen himself calls the Newcastle boss and convinces him to give Santiago a trial. Glen then tells Santiago that, if he can get to England, he will be allowed a tryout with Newcastle United. Santiago would like nothing more in the world than to join the club. However, he does not have sufficient funds, so he decides to save up some more money and use it along with his hidden stash. He returns home one afternoon, however, to find that his father has stolen his money hidden in the shoes, and used it to purchase a new Chevy truck, so they can have their own gardening business and not work for another business. When Santiago confronts his father, he explains that "this is how things get better! This is how you measure a man's life," to him. Santiago suddenly shouts at him "It's Your life!" and sulks in his room. His grandmother (who is an even bigger football fan than him) sells off part of her jewellery and buys a ticket for Santi to travel from Los Angeles to Mexico City by train and catch the plane to London from there (since he is an illegal immigrant he couldn't travel from Los Angeles to London)On arrival in England, Glen warmly welcomes Santi to his house and arranges for a trial. Santi completely messes up his first trial and is rejected by the manager. Glen then manages to convince the manager that Santi was nervous and jetlagged. Glen requested for a month's trial, which is accepted. At the same time, Newcastle signs Gavin Harris. Santi successfully passes the medical test by lying about his asthma condition, and meets the club's nurse Roz Harmison. One night, Santi and teammate Jamie, go clubbing and bump into Roz. After a month, in a reserve game, another jealous teammate crushes Santi's inhaler (Santi has asthma which he deliberately hides from the club officials because he thought he would not get the try out if they knew). His performance is very poor in the match as he is not able to run. He is then removed from the club.On his way to the airport, Santi accidentally meets Harris on the same taxicab because he's late for training as his car tires have been stolen. Harris remembers seeing Santi in the club and finds out what happened in the reserve game. Harris convinces the manager to extend Santi's stay at the club. After treatment at the club, Santi is able to play more confidently and aggressively in the reserves. He finally makes it into the first team, even though he thought that he was dropped entirely from the reserves. He starts as a substitute against a match against Fulham as many of the first team players were injured. He gets his chance when a player is injured and manages to win a penalty for Newcastle which ultimately won them the match. Meanwhile his father watches the match on TV in the USA and is very proud of his son. The manager keeps telling Santi that his weakness was that he does not pass the ball (the manager also said he doesn't pass the ball in a training session). Santi is then transferred back to the reserves. Santi thinking he won't be able to stay long at the club goes to St. James' Park to feel how it is to play on the pitch. The manager tells him to get off the pitch and that he could get the feeling when he played in Newcastle's final game against Liverpool. In the training session before the match, Santi's father dies of heart attack. Santi is completely demoralized and heartbroken though his father always criticized him. He decides to stay and play for the team in the final match rather than go back.Also his friend Jamie tore a ligament in his leg and was told by Roz, who is now Santi's girlfriend, that Jamie would never play football again.In the match against Liverpool, Newcastle takes the lead first thanks to a goal from Harris. Before half-time, Liverpool makes a comeback with two goals, one from Igor Biscan and one from Milan Baros. In the dying minutes before injury time, Santi assists Harris in scoring the equalizer by finally passing the ball to him and correcting his major drawback in football. In the dying minutes of the injury time, Harris is tripped. Harris decides to make Santi take the final free kick. Santi scores with a beautiful free kick swinging away from the Liverpool goalkeeper. After the game ends 3-2 to Newcastle, Glen runs down the stands and gives his mobile saying that Santi's grandmother had called. She is very happy and proud and congratulates her grandson. She also adds that his father did watch his first match. Roz then blows kisses to him. The film ends with Santiago shedding tears of joy while embracing his realized dream. | prank, flashback | train | imdb | "Goal!: The Journey Begins" is the first of a trilogy as a young Mexican illegal immigrant (Kuno Becker) in Los Angeles has a chance at the brass ring in England of all places playing soccer for one of their professional teams after being discovered by scout/former player Stephen Dillane.
Really clever, nice ethnic mix and an unusual one--less predictable than the usual casting that goes on out there--kinda opens the pool of actors that we're currently exposed to all the time.A lot of people are complaining about the football (soccer) aspects of the movie saying that it's not real, etc.
I thought these were shown tactfully and were just enough as they were coupled with the human factor --the lives of the players, their loves, their hates, competitive spirit, etc.What was good about having a Latino as a protagonist in the film is that it shows the wider scope of fans football has.
Having FIFA sanction this film means getting some realism injected, and lending to the authenticity of is the English Premier League club Newcastle United, together with a host of real life soccer superstars like Beckham, Zidane and Raul.While the settings and the game results are real, we follow the fictional story of an illegal Mexican immigrant to Los Angeles, Santiago Munez, street footballer extrodinaire.
He gets his lucky break when an ex-Newcastle United player turned scout, Glen Foy, chances upon his games, and invites him over to England for trials.For a guy who's struggling to make ends meet, this presents the perfect opportunity to take a stab at his dream.
So he leaves his real dad and family behind, to follow in the footsteps of Foy, his surrogate father in England.The highlight of the movie is not the real football games that the actors get seamlessly transplanted onto, but rather the many trials and tribulations that Munez goes through to earn his rightful place in the squad.
You'll enjoy the movie simply because of the strong human drama weaved into the story, as well as the familiarity of easily identifiable themes of hard work, right ethics, living your dreams and fulfilling your aspirations.Newcastle fans however, will rejoice, as the hallowed grounds of St James Park gets put on the silver screen.
Fans of Fulham, Chelsea and Liverpool can also see their heroes on screen as well.Santiago Munez is played by a relative newcomer, Mexican actor Kuno Becker, who was put on real soccer training to improve his skills and make him look credible and natural with the ball at his feet.
A pity it's only out in the stores on October 16 (based on Amazon), but I'll be there to pick it up when it hit the shelves.The ending, even though it wrapped up all the pieces nicely, is a bit abrupt, but I guess it would lead directly into the planned sequels of a trilogy, which involve Real Madrid and the World Cup. This is one movie which can spark someone's interest in soccer, and I'd recommend it to both fans and non-fans alike.
But, like the first few "Rocky" movies, this one delivers without falling into the usual schmaltzy pitfalls.Kuno Becker is very well cast as promising young player Santiago Munez.
THE DREAM BEGINS the viewer can put aside the doubts as to whether the film can make it on its own: this little low profile movie is well written (Mike Jefferies's story adapted for the screen by Adrian Butchart), well directed by Danny Cannon who knows well how to integrate live sports scenes into the drama, and consistently well acted by a troop of excellent actors, beginning with the very vibrant, handsome, and charismatic Kuno Becker ('Lucia, Lucia', 'Imagining Argentina', 'Once Upon a Wedding', 'English as a Second Language'), a 28 year old Mexican actor with an assured future in the lead role of Santiago.
The supporting roles are classy contributions by the gifted Alessandro Nivola ('The Sisters', 'Junebug', 'The Clearing', 'Laurel Canyon', 'Love's Labour's Lost', 'Mansfield Park' etc), the very beautiful Anna Friel, Stephen Dillane, Marcel Iures, Tony Plana, Miriam Colon to mention only a few.The story is secondary: as a child devotee of soccer Santiago immigrates illegally into the US with his family, grows up in Los Angeles working as a gardener, a dishwasher and other menial tasks while he consumes his spare time with developing his unique talents for soccer.
Whatever reservations you may have about sitting through another predictable sports movie just relax them: Kuno Becker alone is worth the time invested in this very fine little film.
The use of cameos from the likes of Shearer, Zidane, Beckham and Raul added to both the credibility and believability of the overall piece.The film is sad and at times funny, and can be enjoyed by the whole family, including people with no interest in football.
When FIFA commissioned and granted the rights for the film to Danny Cannon, the air of realism was set in motion already, because albeit being fictional, it carries the authority of the universal game as fans know it because of its simulated parallels- real clubs, real superstars like Zidane, Raul, Shearer, etc, and realities of the game's actual hierarchies and bureaucracies have been surmised- reserves, leagues, scouts, agents and pressures.AG Salomon/Adidas may have pumped advertising dollar into this film for placement of their teams (Newcastle United, Real Madrid) and sponsored players for marketing, but in a sense, when the result is this authentic, can you blame the corporations for input?
Throw in all the other elements ranging from romance with Anna Friel's pragmatic nurse character to the gamut of football archetypes (Nivola as the playboy with conscience, Iures as the stoic gaffer, Dillane as the gentlemanly scout, the mercenary agents, an even a Souness-like hardman), on top of the fact that footage of actual matches in England has been seamlessly edited in, and you can see why the film accounts for a thorough representation of the sport.
'Goal' tells the story of a young Mexican, Santiago Munez who is offered a trial with English side, Newcastle United when he is spotted playing local football in Los Angeles.
Goal may just be the first descent soccer movie and perhaps the best film about the insights of this phenomenal sport.This happens to be my favourite sport and watching so many movies ,I've never came across a film based on soccer that actually entertains or glorifies the sport.There have been exceptions,(BEND IT LIKE BECKAM).This is one film that understands the sport,the reason why it's so loved by the world and why it is the best sport ever.And for that reason this film excels and gives you a satisfying soccer movie.The story begins as 10-year-old Santiago has passion for the sport early in his life.He then moves to the states from Mexico where he spends the rest of his life playing soccer for a local club and hoping one day he can play as a professional.It just so happens that a guy, who has been a scout and a once famous player,notices Santiago's skills and is deeply impressed.Out of desperation he gives Santiago a chance to play for Newcastle Utd. a top English club.Although Santiago cannot ask for anything more than a trial in a massive club,his father is against his dreams and wishes that his son can help him in his business.Nevertheless ,Santiago flees the States and lands into the Brits colony,where everything seems strange.So there he begins his journey and comes across various obstacles and many times he loses his chances to play for the club ,anyways in the end he......you know the rest.This is quite familiar to everyone.Yes,this film is predictable in every way and you've probably seen movies like this ,but there are some good performances and impressive directing by Cannon which makes this worthwhile, and don't forget that this is a soccer movie and it has one of the best football sequences,with stark realism.Anyone who has ever watched a soccer game will find the football scenes realistic.They are very well executed.But if you watch the film REAL:The Movie,you'll see the scenes in that movie,which are extracted from real game and presented in a cinematic fashion,are more exhilarating and authentic.But still,since this a movie,it's still great.The story is too old fashioned and brings nothing new to the sports genre.However there are a few good lines that work well.The performances are all fine and Becker really impresses.He really excels as a kid with a dream of becoming the best.He has the charm and the looks of a fit player and handles the dramatic scenes really well.This kid is about to become a star himself.Alessandro Nivola is also impressive,playing a lazy ,careless international star who spends more time at clubs than on the pitch.Stephen Dillane also gives a noticeable performance as a father figure.The rest of the cast is just fine.The film often stumbles into the predictable and old fashion spot ,but there are some moments that are touching and there are some stylishly effective football scenes and the whole film entertains you.There is a good amount of energy in this film,at times it is fast paced and exciting and other times is too familiar.But it really is entertaining and understands the values of Football(SOCCER).You won't find a better Soccer movie than this one and it's great to hear that two planned sequels are on the way.So enjoy this sport while you're at it..
One would not expect a good movie at all watching it, but they would be surprised as hell at how well done it is.Ever since his childhood days in Mexico, Santiago Munez has had one dream- playing soccer.
Now we all know that Newcastle United is not one of the best football teams around (coming from a Chelsea fan), but the movie did suck you in to actually rooting for the team and the protagonist.
Two paragraphs above, I mentioned "The Mighty Ducks", because it is predictable and obvious, but also because it is enjoyable and because it is a good film.That we can appreciate these movies depends very much in the way the story is told, and the situations of the characters.
Our hero here is Santi Munez (Mexican talent Kuno Becker), a good hearted Latin "lad" who lives the American Dream and divides his time in helping his dad (Tony Plana) with the family business and playing in a soccer team.
His camera moves passionately throughout Santi's trainings with coach Dornhelm (Marcel Iures), his love developments with Roz (the incredibly beautiful and extremely talented Anna Friel) and the life of his family back home; all solidly told by a team of four screenwriters.So the movie is an advertising for the Spanish team Real Madrid and its player, it's an opportunity for Kuno Becker, who's really promising, to make a name in the industry.
This is one of the five best movies I have listed in my list for best football movies which could be seen here -http://givemegoal.com/np/2014/04/07/best-football- movies/The movie is good one to be honest and hands all the pleasure for the live of Football when you watch the movie.The movie certainly shows how a promising youngster fulfills his dream to play Football professionally despite of different kinds of obstacles.When compared to the real life, this movies displays lot more than football and inspires how one should stick to his interest and dream and work hard to achieve success..
There were a few famous faces in it which gave it a bigger movie feel, but to me this is not a film that I would go out of my way to watch.The story is good and runs along smoothly, there was just not a lot happening in it.
Mexican family immigrates to the US, young man is a decent footballer, Father wants him to help with business, scout sees young man play, gets trial in England, conflict.By-the-numbers football rags-to-riches film which you could have written within 10 minutes before watching.The cast aren't bad (Marcel Iures the standout) although some of the Geordie accents are a bit over the top but the cultural comparisons make for amusing viewing.The cinematography is slick, building the tension up of a match day, some amicable cameos and backed up by a great Oasis heavy soundtrack..
Kuno Becker who played the rising football star Santiago Munez do a great job of acting.A lot of soccer movies in the past have been annoying, but this one is gonna take you to the next level.
Goal Movie ReviewWhen Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) is given the chance of a lifetime, he must leave his family, his life in Los Angeles and everything that he knows to travel halfway around the globe to England to the exciting world of international soccer.Santiago is an illegal immigrant living in Los Angeles who has a passion for soccer.
There was no need to use such marketing tactics which rely more on brand value of real life players like Beckham, Zidane etc.Also, I thought I would get to watch beautiful football in the movie.
Munez's father is against him leaving and sees a future for him in his own gardening business.This movie could be described as "Flashdance with football." A story-line with some suspense, but not a whole lot of it.If you come to this film with low expectations on plot and script, you may be in for a good time.All else is very well executed.
I think this movie is great because it can be such an inspiration for the people who come from different country and wan live the American Dream or even for the people who Born's in U.S. This movie shows us United state is a county of opportunity if anybody works hard and want it bad enough any dream is possible to accomplish like we see in the movie from working in a restaurant playing for one of the great soccer club in world even though his dad didn't believe on him as well as collage coaches because he didn't give up he keep pushing through hard times he finally got a great result.
This film was one of the worst films I've ever seen.Not only was the concept, script, dialogue and characters extremely unoriginal but everything was so unrealistic and dripping with that cliché theme of 'if you just follow your dreams they will come true!' We both cringed through the entire movie and kept daring to ask the question 'Can this possibly get any cheesier?' Sadly, it could.Unfortunately they are currently in the process of filming 'Goal 2' (again how original), in which Santiago plays for Real Madrid (because that's just so likely!).Anyway, I strongly urge you to skip this one if you are any sort of a film fan..
After Santiago Munez' family flee Mexico to live in north America with Santiago bringing his most valuable possessions: a football and a ragged poster of the Fifa world cup the family move to Los Angeles in search of a better way of life.Ten years later Santiago is holding up two jobs to feed his family one working with his father doing odd jobs and the other working in a kitchen in a Chinese restaurant through all this Santiago still finds time to pursue the sport he loves football.When playing for his Mexican youth side in a park in L.A he is spotted by Glen an ex-player of Newcastle United football club who thinks he has excellent potential and a great chance to play professionally so Glen gets Santiago a trial at his old club Newcastle United.Against his fathers wishes Santiago decides to follow his heart and fly to england in search of fame and stardom.But when Santiago makes it to Newcastle things aren't all as easy as he would've hoped as he has to come to grips with different weather and people than his home in L.A.This is an excellently filmed piece showing magnificent sweeping views of Newcastle United's stadium St.James' Park and the whole city.The acting on the whole is very good and not as i had at first expected.This is an action packed and funny feel good movie about hope and salvation.It is your typical rags to riches story but done in a completely different way to others you may have seen.The football,well what can i say the sheer authenticity of it by adding in famous players and proper crowds has done this movie wonders also the games actually look and feel real not like some other Football movies when the games just look so acted out.This is a football movie with feeling,compassion and a type of which we haven't seen before i will watch the trilogy and i recommend if you haven't already to watch this movie.7/10- very solid enjoyable flick and worth a watch..
Glen convinces Santiago to travel to England in order to try to win a place in Newcastle's team, so Santiago starts a quest looking for his dream.Nothing new here as "Goal!" is the typical sports movie about an exceptionally talented young amateur who is given a chance to shine among the professionals and win the heart of the girl he loves.
Director Danny Cannon had complete support by FIFA and Newcastle United and it shows, he has created some of the most realist and awesome football scenes in film.Kuno Becker is very good as Santiago, although at times he is overshadowed by other members of the cast.
The film is after all a marketing tool to help break football in America and while moments of it may feel painfully clichéd, like a cross between Roy of the Rovers and Rocky with a few nods at other sports movie, it is very entertaining.The actors were actually very good.
You know you knew that already.The hero of this movie is Santiago Munez (Becker), an illegal immigrant from Mexico who dreams of playing soccer (or football for our friends outside of the United States). |
tt0858479 | Smart People | Carnegie Mellon English Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is a widowed parent of his alienated college son, James (Ashton Holmes), overachieving high school daughter, Vanessa (Ellen Page), and sibling to his adopted ne'er-do-well brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) that he cannot evade enough. The professor is bitter, arrogant, self-absorbed and uninterested in his students; this does not help him when he parks illegally on campus, his car is impounded and does not pay his fine before getting to the college impound lot watched by a flunked former student.
Lawrence suffers a trauma-induced seizure after falling from the top of a fence in an attempt to retrieve his briefcase from inside his impounded car. In the emergency room, he is treated by Dr. Janet Hartigan (Parker), a former student he does not remember. Lawrence has to figure out a way to get about without being able to operate his car; Chuck is without a place to sleep and a job so Vanessa sets things up for what he characterizes as a "win/win" situation.
Lawrence goes to the hospital for a follow-up, where another doctor tells him Janet had been his student. He meets Janet again outside the hospital as he is leaving and, since Chuck has failed to show up, she offers to take him home. When they arrive, he asks Janet to join him for a "face-to-face conversation." She agrees, fulfilling her old student crush on the professor. Vanessa is not pleased, confronting Janet about Lawrence's fragility. At dinner, Lawrence monopolizes the conversation and Janet walks out. Lawrence fakes a visit to the emergency room to see Janet again and the two reconcile for a second date. They get back to Janet's place where they have sex, but while spending the night, Janet is turned off by Lawrence's neediness and worries that he is, in fact, still too distraught by his wife's death. To get rid of him, she feigns being called in by the hospital and does not return any of his subsequent calls. On another night, in the midst of a contentious family Christmas dinner at the Wetherholds', Janet arrives unannounced with a cake.
After Chuck gets Vanessa drunk to celebrate her early acceptance into Stanford University, she makes a pass at him, which he rejects. He then moves in part-time with Lawrence's son, James (Ashton Holmes), in his college dormitory.
James' girlfriend, Missy (Camille Mana), who is one of his father's students, tells Lawrence that James has had a poem accepted by The New Yorker. In contrast, Lawrence's latest academic tome has been universally rejected. After Vanessa suggests a new title, You Can't Read!, the book is sold to Penguin Group, a large non-academic publisher in New York. To Lawrence's dismay, however, the book is largely re-worked and edited by the publisher and only vaguely resembles his original work. Janet accompanies Lawrence on a trip to New York to meet with the publisher, where she learns she is pregnant with his child. Finding him preoccupied by his book's publishing and an ongoing campaign to become chairman of the English Department, Janet is again upset by Lawrence's self-absorption and breaks up with him without telling him the news.
Back in Pittsburgh, Lawrence is confronted by both James and Chuck, who both point to his apparent lack of interest in his children's lives. Encouraged by Chuck, Lawrence goes to the hospital to reconcile with Janet, who reveals her pregnancy. He has meanwhile dropped his bid to become department head and has become a more involved parent and professor.
During the end credits, Lawrence and Janet cradle twin babies: one boy and one girl. | romantic, psychedelic | train | wikipedia | He has a dead-beat brother-in-law (Thomas Haden Church who steals every scene he's in), a daughter (Ellen Page) who is a young Ann Coulter in the making, and a son (Ashton Holmes) to whom he never talks.This film is quite funny!
Page and Church were definitely the stand-outs, but I appreciated Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker, two actors who I rarely ever have liked.
Page, fresh off her star-making turn as Juno (though Smart People was filmed earlier), is an actress I've liked in a couple of movies I disliked (Juno and Hard Candy).
The solid performances make the film likable and the story is interesting to watch, while it's not something that everyone can relate too, it's a good movie.Lawerance is a college professor who isn't the most popular guy on campus, he's pompous, arrogant, and puts himself higher above his students while ignoring their plea's for extra help on assignments.
They start to date, his daughter, Vanessa, goes through her life realizing she's never really had fun, and his adopted brother, Chuck needs this family just as much as Lawerance needs it.Smart People, the major problem is that this was advertised as a comedy, it has some funny moments, but they're not what you would call laugh out loud.
I'd say this is more of a drama with comedic elements, kind of like "Dan in Real Life", so Smart People didn't have "Smart Advertisement", but the movie is worth the watch.
Dennis Quaid as Laurence Wetherhold, Sarah Jessica Parker as Janet Hartigan, Thomas Haden Church as Chuck, Ellen Page as Vanessa, Ashton Holmes as James
all turn in wonderful performances in a perfectly matched cast.To me the pace is perfect, and the dialog is crisp, compelling, almost flawless, with lots of funny lines.For me, one of the most uplifting features of this movie is the way the whole ensemble of characters develops together.
The movie, however, is rather dull and depressed.It was interesting to hear Page's perky "smart alec" voice in a character she played before "Juno." It indicates that much of what she showed us in "Juno" was HER, and not mere dialogue or direction.Alas, the characters in "Smart People," especially Dennis Quaid's, were scruffy dim-bulbs, and not very pleasant, not admirable, nor watchable.Bottom line, this clunker had sat unreleased and in the warehouse for a reason.
Time to Learn and Move On. The anti-social and bitter widower Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is an egocentric and pompous man that is unpopular among his students and colleagues, and model for his teenager daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page), who is lonely and outcast in her school.
Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Jessica Parker are perfectly cast for their roles and their performances of human characters are fantastic.
So Noam Murro's Smart People, about a widower professor of literature, and his brainy family initially put me off with its dysfunctional crew, but as I slowly gave myself to the cynicism and inhumanity, I realized this crazy world was one I know well, and well is it depicted in its humor and pathos.Although Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is tenured at Carnegie Mellon and on the brink of having a book accepted for publication, he is surly to everyone else, even his young students and his feckless adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), and unhappy with himself, in large part, it would seem, because of the untimely death of his talented wife that allows him to wallow unchecked in self pity.
Quaid's interpretation borders on annoying, so unremittingly curmudgeonly does he play it.Former student and head of ER at a local hospital, Dr. Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker), has the potential to pull him out of his funk if his devoted, brilliant, and acerbic daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) can't.
Yet, it is just that seeming banality that makes the movie work in the long run.A pot-bellied Dennis Quaid plays a snarling, insensitive English Literature professor who's pretty much gone to seed in both his personal and professional life, a character not too far removed from the one played by Michael Caine in "Educating Rita." Lawrence Wetherhold is still so devastated by the death of his wife that he keeps all her clothes hanging in the bedroom closet as a sort of unholy shrine to the dearly departed woman.
Needless to say, Lawrence hasn't made any great strides moving on with his life - until, that is, he strikes up a tentative romance with a physician and former student of his (Sarah Jessica Parker) who helps him to begin that too long delayed process of reconnecting himself to the world.There's nothing particularly original or earth-shattering in this umpteenth tale of a burnt-out teacher finding a renewal of commitment and purpose in his profession, but writer Mark Poirier has provided enough in the way of ancillary details of character and plotting to at least keep matters interesting.Ellen Page, for instance, plays Lawrence's overly possessive daughter, Vanessa, a college-bound Young Republican who's more obsessed with earning a perfect score on her SATs than with establishing meaningful friendships with people her own age.
Yet, despite his own troubles and failings, Chuck is the one who tries to get his niece to loosen up a bit and finally start enjoying life.Together these characters drift through life, making wry observations on their situations and relationships on their way to a happy ending.There may be a few too many musical montage sequences for the movie's own good, but the expository scenes, as directed by Noam Murro and performed by the actors, nicely capture the unhurried rhythms and simple ironies of everyday life..
The cast is super with veterans Quaid, Parker, and Church who give steady and seasoned performances and it blends well with Page's witty and fresh intelligent turn.Dennis Quaid is Lawrence Wetherhold a literature professor at a Pittsburgh, PA university who's a cultured yet uptight and lonely social misfit who still misses his deceased wife.
One of the things that keeps him going is his witty and smart as could be daughter Vanessa(Ellen Page) who knows everything from politics to pop culture she also has a sharp tongue she's certainly a joy to listen to(much like Page's "Juno" character).
Much of that changes for the better thru bad fate after Lawrence suffers a concussion and once he discovers after his treatment from ER doctor Janet(Sarah Jessica Parker)that she was once an ex student a friendship develops into love.Along the way the film focuses in on each characters good points and their negatives as each learn the good and bad points along the way about one another.
The thing is, normal everyday life usually isn't all that interesting.This was sold as a comedy/drama, however very little humour was used in the film, the majority arising from Ellen Page's performance, which was easily the best of the cast.
Ditto Thomas Haden Church.Dennis Quaid is unattractive and unappealing and I couldn't believe Sarah Jessica Parker's doctor character would waste a moment of her time with him.
Dennis Quaid (surprisingly looking fat and old and worn out) is Lawrence Wetherhold, a widowed professor of literature at Carnegie Mellon, a frustrated academic writer and depressed blow hard who mistreats his students and has little control over his shaky family - SAT obsessed daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) and smolderingly angry son (Ashton Holmes) and 'adopted brother', the hippie irresponsible Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) who mooches off Lawrence when times are down.
Dennis Quaid looked and acted precisely like the crusty English prof he was meant to be; Ellen Page was the nerdy daughter who ferociously protected her widowed father while attempting to fill her mother's shoes in running the household, at the expense of her own happiness; and Thomas Haden Church was an unexpected star.
The family was like a four legged table that was suddenly missing a leg...Church's character, the adopted wayward brother of Quaid, served as a sounding board and liaison that worked to bring them all together.The story line was thin and a throwaway but I didn't want the movie to end because I cared about the characters and wanted to see how they turned out in the end.
They were also so unlikeable (with the exception of Thomas Hayden Church's character) - Ellen Page just played an annoying version of Juno.the plot lines were just simply unbelievable and needed a lot more exposition.
The ending was contrived, trite and cheesy, completely out of line with how quaid's character was developed over the course of the film (I know this is the point, but it just wasn't realistic).I think I hated this film because it looked like the kind of indie film that I would really enjoy.
Other than that "smart is arrogant, dumb people have to teach them to have heart" overtone, it's a completely boring formula widow gets back out on the market while kids find there own way movie..
A few great laughs and moments in an otherwise dreary movie.The cast is simply fantastic from Ellen to Sarah Jessica Parker to Quaid to the very underrated but great actor Thomas Haden Church.Page just blows us away and she is not yet 20!
Dennis Quaid stars as Lawrence Whetherhold, the widowed college professor who grumps through his life until he romances the poised physician Janet Hartigan played by Sarah Jessica Parker.
Thomas Haden Church did his usual excellent job playing the wacky adoped brother and Sarah Jessica Parker was almost as good here as her role in Family Stone..
A sideways look at at household of smart people and you come away thinking that they also have dysfunctional lives.Dennis Quaid is Doctor Wetherhold a misanthropic literature professor at a Pittsburgh University.He loves literature but has lost his passion teaching it and lost his passion in writing.
Maybe because he is so up himself that no one reaches his high standard apart from his robotic, young Republican daughter who is friendless.His son who shows gift as a writer has little to do with him and Wetherhold has been living a lonely life since his wife died and would be regarded as a social misfit.When he suffers a fall Wetherhold is treated in ER by a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) and he takes his first tentative steps to reacquaint himself with life out there.When his adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church) turns up who is a bit of a waster, he ends up chauffeuring Wetherhold around and loosens up his daughter by introducing her to drink and drugs but she has a crush on him.The film is a melodrama with some humour provided mainly by Church.
In spite of its famous cast,Smart People did not receive too much support from the distribution company Miramax,and after a short ride across a few film festivals,it was finally released on DVD without too much publicity.That is usually a very bad signal,but I think that the problem with this movie was not precisely its quality,but the strange tone from the story and the unusual characters,which do not let it to be easily qualified.I do not think this is a bad movie,but I did not find it very satisfactory either.The plot summary from this movie looks like one of those films which balance humor with drama,at the same time they teach us some truths about human nature.In other words,something like Little Miss Sunshine or Juno,but with the emphasis put on the mature male spectators.But Smart People is too pretentious and solemn for getting that satisfactory combination between humor and drama.The best element from this movie is definitely Thomas Haden Church repeating the same characters he always interprets : a rough but good-natured man who has more knowledge about humanity than all the pretentious "intellectual" people who round on him.I have to admit that Church has a lot of talent for that kind of role,so I do not care if he always repeat it.Dennis Quaid is an excellent actor,but on this movie,he does not seem to be very interested in his character.Ellen Page brings a solid performance,and her character in here is very similar to the one she made in Juno.But,as Church,it does not bother me if she repeats this kind of role,because she is very talented for it.I think there have been better movies about men facing the mature age (American Beauty and Wonder Boys are my favourite ones from this sub-genus),but in spite of being pretentious,not very satisfactory and excessively slow,Smart People deserves a slight recommendation because it does not lack of a certain grade of interest.In summary,I did not like this movie too much,but I did not dislike it either..
A very unconventional(but good) movie reminiscent of movies like "Little Miss Sunshine", "American Beauty" & of course "Juno"(not just because Ellen Page is in it), "Smart People" is a true offbeat(& funny at times) drama/comedy about a dysfunctional family and its pursuit of happiness.
Thomas Haden Church is awesome as the freewheeling, happy go-lucky adopted brother who brings a little merriment in the life of his otherwise pensive and world-weary teenage niece played by Ellen Page(who is as brilliant as she was in JUNO.
Professor Lawrence Weatherly(Dennis Quaid,keeping the "Rolled out of bed"look throughout the entire movie,it appears)walks zombie-like through his life as a Carnegie Mellon University English instructor,a widower and father to two dyspeptic kids--budding Republican anti-socialite Vanessa(Ellen Page,anti-Juno)and lifeless James(Ashton Holmes),a student at dad's university--who becomes even less personable when his un-inspired(but far from stupid)adopted brother Chuck(Thomas Haden Church,effortless and fantastic here)moves in,needing money.
It wasn't nearly as special as Juno but it was still a fun ride (for all the Ellen Page fans).Dennis Quaid played Lawrence Wetherhold, an unhappy professor, that fell off a fence trying to escape from getting stuff out of his car which was impounded.
With a title like "Smart People," you just know there's a lesson to be learned in this movie, and that it probably has something to do with people who think they're smarter than they are.Those people are Dennis Quaid, a tiresome boor of a college lit professor who nobody likes, and his equally tiresome and snarky daughter, played by Ellen Page as a young Republican version of Juno.
The dumb people who end up being smarter than the smart people are Thomas Haden Church, as a loaf of an adopted brother who has a fondness for laying around with his bare ass waving in the wind; and Sarah Jessica Parker, as an emergency room doctor and former student of Quaid's who strikes up a romance with him.
His character doesn't feel at all integrated into the movie, even though he's the one we'd rather be spending our time with."Smart People" feels like what it probably is: a movie about a very specific milieu that either the writer or director (or both) have direct and personal experience with, but that they unsuccessfully translated into a universal story that anyone could appreciate.I was on a business trip and had nothing else to do, so I was able to just go with the flow and moderately enjoy this movie, but a must-see it most certainly isn't.Grade: B-.
Dennis Quaid stars with Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, and Ellen Page in "Smart People" from 2008.Quaid is Lawrence, a widowed literature professor living with his daughter Vanessa (Page).
Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church, and Ellen Page all give really good performances here.
This movie is such a fine work in so many ways.It's just a shame that it's "downed" by the poorly worked out storyline, and some poor writing.I've seen other comments on the fact that the love interest for the prof is flimsy and managed way, way too abruptly.It just occurs to me; another commenter cites "The Accidental Tourist" as a good standard against which "Smart People" can be compared.I think a better standard would be "As Good As It Gets." The hero in "Gets" (Nickolson) is way, way more screwed up than Quaid's character.
Noam Murrow's Smart People is a formulaic film that proves my point: formulas aren't always a bad thing.Perhaps interchangeable with the character Michael Douglas played in Curtis Hanson's Wonder Boys, or even more so William Hurt's Macon Leary in The Accidental Tourist, Dennis Quaid manages to make Prof.
Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page run the risk of becoming typecast, reprising roles far too similar to the ones they played in Sideways and Juno; yet despite the familiar terrain, their characters are the ones charged with giving Smart People its funniest moments.As you would expect, a female love interest (none other than the Horseface Queen herself) is the catalyst pushing Wetherhold to recognize a thing or two about himself before becoming a better man.
Thomas Hayden Church is the Antithesis Adopted Brother to the Family and Shows Signs of Being the Really Smart One Despite Being a Homeless Middle-Aged Slacker ("I love my life.") Sarah Jessica Parker is a Medical Doctor that is an Interloper at Christmas Dinner and is Told..."Come in we need some anti-venom in the snake pit.".
Dennis Quaid is good as the arrogant, self-absorbed professor who suffers a seizure and then takes a shot at romance with his emergency room physician and former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) -who for once is not playing her Sex & The City character.Ellen Page plays another damaged character as the professors daughter and when her uncle (Thomas Haden Church) shows up they form an interesting relationship that delivers most of the comedy here.
Ellen Page is becoming type-casted as sarcastic characters who delivers awkward punchlines after other just like in "Juno" (excellent film by the way).
But the problems here go much deeper.Smart People is first of all a love story between Dennis Quaid's Lawrence and Sarah Jessica Parker's Janet.
There were some entertaining bits, including the interaction between Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page, and between Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid, but as I said, I was ultimately disappointed with the end of the film..
SMART PEOPLE (2008) *** ½ Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes, Christine Lahti, Camille Mana. |
tt1676684 | Lady Gaga: Paparazzi | Serial Pictures presents a Josh Akerlund production. Birds chirp and the scene opens on sunny sky and palm trees at a stately mansion. Fountain, chandeliers, designer elegance. White marble statuettes, exotic orchids, and an abundance of cash lying about. Leggy cutely-fringed blonde Lady Gaga is in bed with her French lover, played by Alexander Skarsgård, asking him if he loves her. Of course he does. Love and kisses. A close-up of the bills of money reveals that it is the chart-topping superstar's face that is printed on them. Her lover effortlessly picks her up in his arms, and carries her outside, to the balcony. Ooh, romance in full bloom, things couldn't be happier. But wait, something is amiss. This flake is setting her up for prying yellow press camera lenses. Which clicks away merrily. She realizes she's been set up, and tries to put an end to it. It is then that he tosses her over the balcony. As she plummets down, a vertigo-inducing black-and-white swirl. She hits the pavement and the newspapers say "Lady Gaga is Over" and "Lady No More Gaga"....She has survived, but is now confined to a wheelchair, depending on her chauffeur to lift her out of the limousine,and place her onto the chair. She also appears to be blind. It is only now that the song starts. "We are the crowd, we're c-coming out, got my flash on it's true, need that picture of you, it's so magical, we'd be so fantastical..." There then follows scene after scene with Lady Gaga indulging in a fetishistic display of beauty found in the ugliness of medical instruments: wheelchairs and crutches, as she is assisted by a bevy of attractive model types acting as nursing personnel. Making out with them on the couch. The Lady wears a revealing leather outfit, and momentarily more than once mimicks being crazy with tongue lolling. And highly controversial images of a plethora of 'dead models' randomly strewn through the mansion, on the lawn, and out by the pool, quite inexplicably, but apparently part of the theme of the video is inspired by celebrity suicides, victims of their own fame. They are the sexiest corpses to date in any music video, whatever else your opinion of this questionable idea might be. And there is a never-ending stream of them, some lying grotesquely contorted, as Lady Gaga goes really, really deranged/artisticly creative down much darker avenues/plainly necrophilic (take your pick). Anyway, it can be interpreted that she draws power from them, the more they perish, the more she flourishes. Back to strength, she rises to power again, she is The It Girl again."I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me, papa-Paparazzi" The song's lyrics are clearly about being stalked by an obsessed photographer, yet there is none of that in the music video itself."Leather and jeans..." the fashion references go, later on "...eyeliner and cigarettes..."They're playing house again. Wearing a weird Minnie Mouse outfit, rounded off with cartoonishly cruel vampy black lips, the Lady pours her boyfriend a drink. Which is, of course, laced by her with cyanide. She takes an antidote. Hands him the glass. He accepts, drinks, realizes he's been had, does a double take at her drinking from an ornate tea-cup, eternal lights-out time, he slumps, the glass rolls, the icecube spills. The Lady grins wickedly. "9-1-1 Emergency, hello?" She coolly announces "I just killed my boyfriend."Forensics arrive to examine the body. Dusting for prints. Lady Gaga is of course the clear culprit.She's back!!!" the headlines proclaim. "We love her again," they blare their insincerity. "She's innocent," they protest. Media interest reaching fever pitch, she is in a limousine, overt leggy display, and taken to the police station to be indicted. "Look into the camera. Walk away." Celebrity mug shot with a pussykitten snarl. Ain't nobody contrite here. The End. Credits flash briefly. | murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0034583 | Casablanca | In the early years of World War II, December 1941, the Moroccan coastal city of Casablanca attracts people from all over the world, particularly Nazi-occupied Europe. Many are transients trying to get out of Europe; a few are just trying to make a buck. Most of them -- gamblers and refugees, Nazis, resistance fighters, and plain old crooks -- find their way to Rick's Café Américain, a swank nightclub owned by American expatriate Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart). Though we learn later that Rick once harbored enough idealism to put himself at risk to fight fascism, he's now embittered and cynical, professing to be neutral and detached: "I stick my neck out for nobody."Ugarte (Peter Lorre) comes to Rick's with letters of transit he obtained by killing two German couriers. The papers allow the bearer to travel freely around German-controlled Europe, including to neutral Lisbon, Portugal; from Lisbon, it's relatively easy to get to the United States. They are almost priceless to any of the refugees stranded in Casablanca. Ugarte plans to make his fortune by selling them to the highest bidder, who is due to arrive at the club later that night. However, before the exchange can take place, Ugarte is arrested by the police under the command of Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains). A corrupt Vichy official, Renault accommodates the Nazis. Unknown to Renault and the Nazis, Ugarte had left the letters with Rick for safekeeping, because "...somehow, just because you despise me, you're the only one I trust."Then the reason for Rick's bitterness re-enters his life. Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) arrives with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) to purchase the letters. Laszlo is a renowned Czech Resistance leader who has escaped from a Nazi concentration camp. They must have the letters to escape to America to continue his work. At the time Ilsa first met and fell in love with Rick in Paris, she believed her husband had been killed. When she discovered that he was still alive, she left Rick abruptly without explanation and returned to Laszlo, leaving Rick feeling betrayed. After the club closes, Ilsa returns to try to explain, but Rick is drunk and bitterly refuses to listen.At different times Rick and Ilsa torment themselves by asking the club's piano player, Sam (Arthur "Dooley" Wilson), to play As Time Goes By, a song they loved when they were together in Paris. The famous line "Play it again, Sam," which refers to this song, doesn't actually appear in the movie -- Ilsa says "Play it, Sam," and later, Rick orders "Play it!" While Sam plays the song, Rick reminisces about his affair with Ilsa in Paris. Though she seems happy to be with Rick, her mood near the end of their time together is cautious because she has learned her husband may not be dead. When the Nazis begin to close in on Paris, she receives word that Victor is indeed alive in another part of Europe. She and Rick had been planning to take a train to Southern France to escape the German Army's assault; however, on the platform Rick receives a handwritten letter from her. She writes that she can't explain why she's leaving him but she loves him. Rick and Sam leave without her.The next night, Laszlo, suspecting that Rick has the letters, speaks with him privately about obtaining them. They're interrupted when a group of Nazi officers, led by Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt), commandeer Sam's piano and begin to sing Die Wacht am Rhein (The Watch on the Rhine), a German patriotic song. Infuriated, Laszlo orders the house band to play La Marseillaise in honor of Occupied France. The band leader looks to Rick for guidance; he nods. Laszlo starts singing, alone at first, then long-suppressed patriotic fervor grips the crowd and everyone joins in, drowning out the Germans. In retaliation, Strasser orders Renault to close the club.Later that night, Ilsa confronts Rick in the deserted cafe. He refuses to give her the documents, even when threatened with a gun. She is unable to shoot, confessing that she still loves him. Rick decides to help Laszlo, leading her to believe that she will stay behind when Laszlo leaves.Laszlo is jailed on a minor charge. Rick convinces Renault to release Laszlo, promising to set him up for a much more serious crime: possession of the letters of transit. However, Rick double crosses Renault, forcing him at gunpoint to assist in the escape. At the last moment, Rick makes Ilsa get on the plane to Lisbon with her husband, telling her that she would regret it if she stayed: "Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life."Major Strasser drives up, tipped off by Renault, but Rick shoots him when he tries to intervene. When his men arrive, Renault informs them that Strasser is dead and covers for Rick by sharply ordering them to "round up the usual suspects." He then recommends that they both leave Casablanca. Renault, suggesting they join the Resistance, walks into the fog with Rick who says "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." | murder, dramatic, atmospheric, flashback, humor, romantic, suspenseful, sentimental | train | imdb | And there are quite a few moments of comedic delight, just think of the pickpocket ("This place is full of vultures, vultures everywhere!") or the elderly couple on the last evening before their emigration to the US ("What watch?").But 'Casablanca' is not only great as a whole, it still stands on top if we break it apart and look at single lines of dialog, scenes or performances alone.
Many of scenes have become a part of film history; the duel of 'Die Wacht am Rhein' and 'La Marseillaise' is probably one of the greatest scenes ever shot (the only I can think of that would rival it for the #1 spot is Hynkel and the globe from Chaplin's 'The Great Dictator'), and the last scene is probably even familiar to the few people who've never seen 'Casablanca'.
Am I the only one who is absolutely convinced that the film wouldn't have become what it is today if Rick and Ilsa would have ended up as the lucky couple?About the performances: So much has been said about the uniqueness of Humphrey Bogart's and Ingrid Bergman's chemistry as Rick and Ilsa, about Claude Rains' terrific turn as Renault, about the scene-stealing performances by Peter Lorre (one of the 10 all-time greatest actors) as Ugarte and Sydney Greenstreet as Ferrari and about Dooley Wilson stopping the show as Sam. I'd love to emphasize here two other performances, one that is not mentioned quite as often and one which is blatantly overlooked: Conrad Veidt as Major Strasser had a really difficult task here, as his character is the only evil one, but still Strasser is not a one-dimensional character, and it took more than 50 years until another actor gave an equally (maybe even more) impressive performance as a Nazi, Ralph Fiennes in 'Schindler's List'.
"Casablanca" remains Hollywood's finest moment, a film that succeeds on such a vast scale not because of anything experimental or deliberately earthshaking in its design, but for the way it cohered to and reaffirmed the movie-making conventions of its day.
This is the film that played by the rules while elevating the form, and remains the touchstone for those who talk about Hollywood's greatness.It's the first week in December, 1941, and in the Vichy-controlled African port city of Casablanca, American ex-pat Rick Blaine runs a gin joint he calls "Rick's Cafe Americaine." Everybody comes to Rick's, including thieves, spies, Nazis, partisans, and refugees trying to make their way to Lisbon and, eventually, America.
Rick is a tough, sour kind of guy, but he's still taken for a loop when fate hands him two sudden twists: A pair of unchallengeable exit visas, and a woman named Ilsa who left him broken-hearted in Paris and now needs him to help her and her resistance-leader husband escape.Humphrey Bogart is Rick and Ingrid Bergman is Ilsa, in roles that are archetypes in film lore.
He's mad at her for walking out on him, while she wants him to understand her cause, but there's a lot going on underneath with both, and it all spills out in a scene in Rick's apartment that is one of many legendary moments."Casablanca" is a great romance, not only for being so supremely entertaining with its humor and realistic-though-exotic wartime excitement, but because it's not the least bit mushy.
Take the way Rick's face literally breaks when he first sees Ilsa in his bar, or how he recalls the last time he saw her in Paris: "The Germans wore gray, you wore blue." There's a real human dimension to these people that makes us care for them and relate to them in a way that belies the passage of years.For me, and many, the most interesting relationship in the movie is Rick and Capt.
Paul Henreid is often looked at as a bit of a third wheel playing the role of Ilsa's husband, but he manages to create a moral center around which the rest of the film operates, and his enigmatic relationship with Rick and especially Ilsa, a woman who obviously admires her husband but can't somehow ever bring herself to say she loves him, is something to wonder at.My favorite bit is when Rick finds himself the target of an entreaty by a Bulgarian refugee who just wants Rick's assurance that Capt.
Rick flashes on Ilsa, suppresses a grimace, tries to buy the woman off with a one-liner ("Go back to Bulgaria"), then finally does a marvelous thing that sets the whole second half of the film in motion without much calling attention to itself.It's not fashionable to discuss movie directors after Chaplin and before Welles, but surely something should be said about Michael Curtiz, who not only directed this film but other great features like "Captain Blood" and "Angels With Dirty Faces." For my money, his "Adventures Of Robin Hood" was every bit "Casablanca's" equal, and he even found time the same year he made "Casablanca" to make "Yankee Doodle Dandy." When you watch a film like this, you aren't so much aware of the director, but that's really a testament to Curtiz's artistry.
As Rick says, "Three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this big old world." If you're in a mood where you understand what he's saying, watch this movie and it will transport you.There is no single movie that deserves to be called the best movie of all time.
In any event we've got some proof in the case of Casablanca.Check out some time a film called Background to Danger that Warner Brothers did with George Raft that also featured Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet.
Through this film, Casablanca will always live in my heart and I will think of its characters as family.Seeing it for the first time is truly the start of a romance with ideals that will live in you long after credits end..
Casablanca is a different kind of love story, more likely to infect rather than effect.She almost makes me believe it every time.
Not everyone who watches it today shares the opinion that it is a classic, but it's still good to see fans of modern movies giving it a try for themselves.The cast is one of its main strengths, not just Bogart and Bergman but also the fine supporting cast.
Here was a man who was a legend in German film history as the murdering somnambulist (a possible warning about the Nazi soldiers to come?) and because of the vicious anti-Semitism and racism of the Germany of the '30s and '40s, we in America and in Hollywood were given a great gift.Everyone in this film is fabulous, but it is the chemistry of Rick (Bogart) and Ilsa (Bergman) been truly holds the film together.
There is a reason why he was named the actor of the century.While every person in the film becomes a real flesh and blood presence, the story of Rick and Ilsa is the center of this cinema feast.I must confess that I have seen this picture so many times that I can recite every single line in the movie to the consternation of my wife who can't watch it with me anymore.
That movie was "All Through The Night." I love this movie too, and I'm not even a New Yorker.There have been many attempts to revisit "Casablanca," but only the original makes you really feel what it was like to live through "The Good War" in a faraway place like Casablanca in French Morocco.Even though such trickery as midget airport workers, fog machines and cardboard cutout airplanes were utilized, this film convinces through its beautiful story with many layers, and characters that are so well realized.If you've never seen this movie before, shame on you and see it immediately.
Rather than some "off the cuff" comments, I'll quote instead from my article on Claude Rains (from March 2000 issue of CLASSIC IMAGES) that pretty well sums up the film:"It was 1943's 'Casablanca', bustling with melodramatic wartime intrigue, that really put him (Claude Rains) in the forefront as one of the screen's smoothest character actors, almost--but not quite--stealing the film from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, as the uniformed Captain Louis Renault who investigates the goings-on at Rick's notorious cafe.
Sydney Greenstreet, Conrad Veidt, Victor Francen and Peter Lorre all gave sterling performances and Rains was again nominated for Best Supporting actor."And by the way, I disagree with a former comment indicating the black and white photography of this film was primitive as compared to today's.
I object to a cut-rate one', 'Round up the usual suspects', and, of course, the oft quoted, apocryphal, 'Play it again, Sam'.Madeleine LeBeau plays Yvonne, the jilted lover of Humphrey Bogart, who is seen drowning her sorrows at the bar early in the film and who later, to get back at Rick and looking for solace takes up with a German officer finding only self-hatred.
You guys my age, this is a great Sit-down-and-watch-with-your-girl-on-a-rainy-afternoon type movie, and parents already love it, so everyone's happy.I always say when I write these things that, even though I liked it, you might not.
And, of course, there's Sam, the piano player, who plays all the favorites, including "As Time Goes By".All of the film's technical elements are excellent including the script, with its colorful characters, like the debonair Captain Renault (Claude Rains); and Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet), the articulate and portly "leader of all illegal activities in Casablanca".
And a minor character that made an impression on me was the guitar playing female singer at Rick's (Corinna Mura), whose beautifully operatic voice was an unexpected delight in this smoke filled saloon.The film's dialogue, though substantial, is clever and lively, like when Captain Renault observes Rick escorting an intoxicated woman out of the bar: "How extravagant you are, throwing away women like that; some day they may be scarce".High-contrast B&W lighting renders a noir look.
The place, Casablanca, becomes a citadel of despondence and despair for so many people, yet for Rick and Ilsa, (Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) the situation is tailor made for a passionate redemption!!
It has everything a great movie should have: romance, sacrifice, wonderful lines, a memorable song, incredible acting (even in the smallest roles) and it is one of the few non-film noir movies filmed in the B&W era that I wouldn't want to see refilmed in color (that is in definite contrast to "I Know Where I'm Going!" which begs to be refilmed to show the beauty of its vistas).
I don't think the ending that exists in Casablanca could be filmed today and though most have seen this movie (or any of its parodies) I don't want to give anything away.
But ultimately, we all fall under the spell that Michael Curtiz created and for almost two hours we are in Casablanca among the spies and would be travelers eavesdropping into their conversations and the different schemes going on.Humphrey Bogart was an actor without the looks of some of the handsome male stars of that era, yet, he is mesmerizing as Rick Blaine.
Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, S.K. Sakall, and above all Dooley Wilson, as Sam, made a magnificent contribution to the film in small roles.Casablanca gets better and better, as time goes by..
It isn't even in my top ten but I always find it very, very enjoyable and the latest 2-disc DVD transfer makes it even better to view.Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, of course, are the stars but I always found Claude Raines' character the best to watch.
He and Bogart's character are similar, essentially coming across as people who only care about themselves but deep inside are good-hearted people.The ending is much discussed and very famous and helps make the movie so revered.
The movie has immortal images with memorable quotes and the best scenes ever written , such as the exciting final when Bogart bids Bergman farewell at the airport with ¨Here's looking at you kid¨still has audiences choking back a tear.
Everyone remembers 'As Time Goes By' (the song that only stayed in the film, so popular culture has it, because Bergman had cut her hair for 'Joan of Arc', and couldn't retake scenes using another tune) but there is much more to this world-weary romance.Bogart, of course, was hardly the usual romantic movie hero.
He spars with Claude Rains (the crooked police captain) and Sidney Greenstreet (a rival bar owner) like a trooper, has a quiet contempt for Paul Henreid (a freedom fighter) and Peter Lorre (a thief), gives Conrad Veidt (the Nazi Major) as good as he gets, is on the level with employees Dooley Wilson and Cuddles Sakall.Through all this, truly loves Ingrid Bergman (the beautiful Ilse, the love of his life).
He is faced with tough decisions that he easily overcomes or easily pushes away until his one true love, Ilsa Lund played by Ingrid Bergman, appears on his doorstep.The scripting in this film is "cheesy" by modern day conversations standards, but is still powerful.
In one hundred years, do you think "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy will really - really - be remembered?"Casablanca" is a love story, just as so many other films released to this day, but upon a viewing two nights ago, I asked myself what sets it apart from the rest.
(I was even more shocked to see Bogie smile!) I was bored through the story, the men's thick black eyeliner looked like an ethnic joke, their white eyeliner was a little less distracting, but I've seen worse, so I decided what the heck, I'm 1/4th through this movie might as well keep going since it's not like it's starring *insert your most insipid actress and buffoon of an actor here* And OK, since I'm well-endowed in the "suspend disbelief" department, I'll pretend I'll buy Ingmar Bergman or whatever as the love interest.Since some of the dialog was amazing, I thought I'd actually give this a 7.
Old time lovers - Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Lisa (Ingrid Bergman), meet after many years in Casablanca and remember their love in France.
Now a days we see so many movies but to think of the rave Casablanca would have created during world war second times, would have been enormous.My salute to Martin Curtiz and Humphrey Bogart!
Bogart (whom I never found a bit attractive anyway) mumbles through the story, as a one-dimensional "cynical with a big heart" (my god, what a novelty!!), Bergman cries a lot, but as a compliant female does what she's told and follows her husband: Rick is a man, he knows what's best for her, and her husband needs her support, he's a war hero!!
Watchable, yes, but not great, and certainly not deserving of being on the IMDb top 250.The movie was fast-paced, which was both good and bad: good because it would've been unbearable to watch otherwise, and bad because it didn't give the viewer time to get attached to any of the characters (which is just as well, since as I've said, it was war propaganda and so the less effective, the better).Apart from a few good one-liners and patches of clever dialog, the only other positive thing I can say about it is that it was technically well made, in particular the lighting and the dynamic camera work (though I'm not personally a fan of this style of camera work, as I find it detracts from story and atmosphere).
The greatest love story on film - pure and simple.The telling is so perfect: the setting, the timing, the exotic, the human.Bogart was never better, Ingrid Bergmann never more beautiful: the first time they see each other takes my breath away every time - truly one of the best moments in cinema history.Casablanca has a true timeless to it: partly because it is so beautifully shot; it is one of the most beautiful B & W films: the use of lighting, and shade are exquisite and compliment the settings perfectly.Above all, though it is a film about love: who wouldn't want to be Rick, or to be Ilsa, and to have had Paris...Exceptional, excellent, and will remain a favourite as time goes by.
You never get the truth about what these characters really want from each other, nor is there any clear central point to the story.It seems to me what people like about this film most is the glamour of Ingrid Bergman -- and the low key cool act of Humphrey Bogart.
Compassion, romance and sentimentality come with a story The focus is on Bogart's character, but that does not diminish the fact that it is a great performance.Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund at its best and the strongest role.
Set in Casablanca during WWII, this film tells the story of Rick Blaine (Bogart), a bar owner bitter after an abruptly-ended romance with the lovely Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman).
Add into the cast great talents like Claude Rains, Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet and how can you lose?Arguably the best movie of all time, "Casablanca" is well-worth viewing.
Specifically, this happens when we learn that Ilsa's (Ingrid Bergman) "new" love, the man for whom her romance with Rick (Humphrey Bogart one of the biggest giants in film history) has to end, is really a good man.
Humphrey Bogart is perfect for the role, a bad ass American, Rick Blaine, who owns a night club at Casablanca during the World War II, but yet he is surprisingly soft-hearted.
Rick Makes the Heroic Choice: One of the Best Hollywood Films of All Time.
And Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart in his most memorable role, also makes an heroic choice in the ageless and timeless American film "Casablanca".
This movie, and Bogart's character of 'Rick' most notably, are reminiscent of other great genres of American cinema of the time, like film noir and the hard-boiled detective story (of which Bogart was a mainstay at the time). |
tt0331953 | Club Dread | Pleasure Island is a resort off the coast of Costa Rica, owned by famous musician Coconut Pete. Staff members Rolo, Stacy, and Kelly sneak into the jungle to have sex. They are ambushed by a masked figure, who stabs Rolo to death. The killer chases the girls through the jungle. The killer pushes Kelly off a cliff and decapitates Stacy before she can reach help.
The resort staff remain unaware of the killings until Carlos' body is found behind the kitchen. Dave relates a story about a former employee who lost his mind and murdered his fellow staff members; though Pete insists it's a story made up to scare guests around the campfire, the mounting death toll suggests otherwise. Putman alerts the others when he finds Cliff murdered in a hedge maze. A message left by the killer suggests that he is targeting only the staff. All communication devices and transportation have been stolen or destroyed.
Hank, a former FBI agent, convinces the staff to continue with their jobs and allow him to catch the killer. Yu remains intent on warning the guests, despite warnings not to do so from the killer. When she lures the guests to the beach to make the announcement, she is attacked by the killer. Hank intervenes, but the killer slashes his throat and turns on Yu. Their bodies are found the next day.
The staff begins to suspect one of the guests, Penelope. Juan, believing her innocent, tries to eliminate her as a suspect. Putman disappears into the jungle after having a nightmare. Sam and Dave find a shrine of photos of Lars and his friends, in which all of the faces except Lars' have been replaced with Pete's; suspicion turns on Lars and the staff lock Lars in a room. The killer electrocutes one of the guests, causing a power failure. Putman returns, and he and Jenny deduce that Lars is not the killer, but Lars has escaped.
When Pete is found dead, the staff members turn on each other. Jenny tries to convince the group that they must work together to survive until the shuttle from the mainland returns for the guests. They reject this and split into smaller groups. Dave manages to restore the electricity. Jenny and Lars are drawn by music to the electricity hut where they find Dave's severed head. Putman is next to be killed.
During a party in the nightclub, Jenny and Lars discover Dave and Putman's bodies. The guests see the corpses and a panic ensues. Penelope, Juan, Lars and Jenny find Sam's apparently lifeless body in a mud bath. While they consider their next move, Sam leaps from the bath with a machete and grabs Lars.
Sam reveals that he wanted to kill everyone on the island because Pete had intended to sell the island to the military, but decided to give the island to Dave. Jealous, Sam decided that Dave would mismanage the resort and destroy it. Lars grabs the machete, allowing the others to escape. Penelope is lost among the party-crazed guests, and Jenny and Juan lock themselves in the nightclub. They see Sam drowning Penelope in a large tank. Juan smashes the tank and rescues Penelope. Sam prepares to kill them, but Lars appears and stabs Sam.
Sam pursues Lars, Jenny, Penelope, and Juan as they escape through the jungle. Cornered on a cliff, they jump to the water below. They find the resort's damaged boats, and try to cobble together enough working parts to leave the island. Sam appears and kills Juan, then attacks Jenny and Penelope. Lars overcomes Sam, and Sam is bisected by a rope attached to the power boat. As they motor away, Sam's lower half continues to pursue them despite his fatal wounds. | cult, murder, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | Especially Cocanut Pete who everyone seems to think was a unfunny atempt at Jimmy Buffet, in case you didn't notice, in the movie they take a shot at him being a Jimmy Buffet rip off "Play Maragrita Ville!".And before you dismis my recamendation as yammering from a Broken Lizard fan boy don't think so soon, I have never seen any other Broken Lizard flicks, but after this wonderfully executed movie, I plan on it.I think it sums up to you have to have a certain since of bizar humour at some points and just keep a open mind when watching the movie.
It wasn't the best movie I've seen by far, but I am going over lines in my head this morning from two nights ago and still laughing.Broken Lizards Club Dread is a extremly funny movie that doesn't deserve to be bashed like it is.
The Jimmy Buffet rip offs and cheesy ending is exactly what Broken Lizard was aiming for, and if you look at it like that, many of the "mistakes" become funny as oposed to angering.The Final Numbers 8 out of 10..
Fans of super troopers will understand the clever brand of comedy applied in this film.
If you're looking for a life changing dramatic experience go see The Passion of The Christ but if you want to have a good time laughing at stuff you know is funny, even if you won't admit it, see this film.
With such terrible slasher spoofs as Scary Movie (I never bothered seeing the sequels) that was just one giant oral sex joke, this was a great breath of fresh air.
The plot was typical (part of the spoof) and the acting at times hokey (yet again, part of the spoof), it's easy to get distracted away from the subtle humor and very entertaining dialogue.Though the acting isn't classical actor's guild stuff, the characters are great.
They all play great characters in this one and while it wasn't as popular as say "Super troopers" it was definitely as good if not better.
At first viewing of this comedy by Jay Chandrasekhar I dismissed it as a completely cheesy and off-the-wall spoof movie we have all seen many times already, and I was right!
But Broken Lizard delivers a pretty entertaining movie that will not disappoint those looking for a fun ride..
In a environment of suspicious, and with the afraid employees trapped in the island without communication, the number of deaths increases."Club Dread" is a funny slash movie.
I liked this hilarious movie, a spoof of "serious" horror slash movies, showing a good combination of gore and comedy.
The Broken Lizard guys, Erik, Paul, Jay, Steve, Kevin, once again put their warped minds together and came up with something creative, fresh, funny, and scary.
Just like Super Troopers, the first big installment from Broken Lizard, this film WILL satisfy those who seek a good time.
But, if you want to take a time-out from deep, thought-provoking, and ultimately way-too-realistic-movies-that-remind-you-of-your-own-sad-life (like Lost in Translation, for example) a trip to an Island paradise filled with lots of tanned, toned skin, a fun sound track, delicious suspence, and the ever funny Broken Lizard guys, is going to be the perfect remedy!.
All the things that pop out at you that make you jump out of your seat are just great.All the guys from Super Troopers are in different roles from the previous movie.The guy who played Farve is hilarious in this movie, but he isn't anything like Farve.
The first five minutes is literally nonstop hilarity as one horror movie staple after another is brilliantly ridiculed with witty dialogue and outlandish, over the top situations which set the tone of the movie to follow.The humor is genre spanning, featuring not just the drug related humor you'd expect from the creators of Super Troopers, but multiple jokes about Jimmy Buffet and '80s icons Eddie Money and Billy Squier.
The focus is clearly on being a horror movie parody, but the humor is diverse enough to keep that formula from going stale.Well done Broken Lizard, keep them coming!.
Total piece of crap but in a Very entertaining way, I give it a 7 out of 10 because months later I still start laughing like a maniac when I think about some of the scenes in the movie..
Club Dread is one of the absolute worst.It's supposed to be comedy, or that's what I thought at least when I rented it, but there wasn't a single funny thing in the entire movie.
As a slasher movie, "Club Dread" is gory and suspenseful, with good kill setups and the requisite false scares.
Broken Lizard, the wacky comedy troupe behind "Super Troopers" is back with "Club Dread," a slasher sex comedy.
In my eyes for a comedy that only a few people would like, it got good ratings.This movie, as soon as I was done watching it, stole 10 years off my life.
Because of this movie, I will probably not ever watch Super Troopers or any other Broken Lizard films that come out because of the horrible movie I saw today..
Broken Lizard is not trying to Parody (making specific jokes about specific films), but, in fact, it seems that they are they are trying to Satire (poke fun at the genre in a sardonic way, effectively poking at social situations).
Maybe that's not what you want going in, but if you're familiar with other Broken Lizard films (supertroopers), this should come as no surprise.
I'm not an obsessed cult member, but if word is out that they are into another production, I'll be sure to keep an eye out for it.Having said that, I'll make my point.When I first saw Super Troopers at a friend's house, I thought to myself, could movies be any funnier?
This helps appeal to fans of the horror genre.I appreciate this film even more now that I realize it for what it is.Summary: For those of you who dismissed this movie because you expected Super Troopers, go back and give it a second chance.
If Broken Lizard could somehow go back in time it'd be great if they could include David Cross to add his Scary Movie 2 weirdness to it as another character.
Club dread is another great entry in the Broken Lizard comedy series.
I recommend Club Dread to all horror movie lovers and people who love comedies!
To me, this movie is something like a combination of Cradle of Fear, The Terminator, and Scooby-Doo. The film seems confused as to whether it wants to try for a genuine horror factor at the expense of some humor to allow for further characterization of the island and those on it, or if it is trying to be a comedy while being forced to maintain a plot line so that the story doesn't taper into a chaotic nonsense, which seems to be what happens anyway.
Kevin Heffernan's performance is particularly notable, even more so if you've seen Super Troopers; his character could not be more different than Farva.All in all, a great comedy that never takes itself too seriously and ultimately scores a resounding 10!
Obviously no one got this joke on this one, and I think Broken Lizard is more than likely kicking themselves for thinking that most of America would understand this movie.
Of course most didn't because they were expecting the humor in this one to be the exact same AS Super Troopers, when they're clearly two different movies with opposite comedy styles.
I think this movie was horribly misunderstood and underrated, especially by Broken Lizard fans.I am an aspiring filmmaker, and this is exactly the type of horror comedy I would like to make.
Hopefully the mix of slasher and Super Trooper fans will give this movie the following it deserves, although either group may find Club Dread leaning too much to the other side..
Fun Parody of an Era Gone By. This was a film I checked out when I was in college, because I was a fan of Broken Lizard's previous film Super Troopers.
The official synopsis is when a serial killer interrupts the fun at the swanky Coconut Pete's Beach Resort - a hedonistic island paradise for swingers - it's up to the club's staff to stop the violence...or at least hide it.We kick this film off with Stacy (Elena Lyons) and Rolo (Dan Montgomery Jr.) going off into the woods to hook up.
There are also laughs because the guys of Broken Lizard are great.For a running time of 104 minutes, I don't think drags and it is a good length.
I know everyone thinks Super Trooper is the best but i think this really captured the summer or spring break feel of partying/slasher spoof/and great music and acting by Bill Paxton!!
Broken Lizard from Puddle Cruiser, to Super Troopers to now Club Dread has become better and better.
Its also fairly well written, I think people have forgotten the point was to make a cheesey horror movie spoof and they did just that anyone who has seen the off horror picture will get most of the reference and get a laugh out of the well developed Characters,.
There have been many horror movie spoofs over the years that do a great job of being funny, but never really aim to be scary as well.
Yes, the movie is very funny, but it is also quite gory, with some of the most bloody killings a movie can offer.The whole Broken Lizard gang from Super Troopers shows up again, each playing a completely different type of character.
Overall, the return of all the Broken Lizard characters is excellent; plus the addition of Bill Paxton as the Jimmy Buffet ripoff is priceless.The humor style is very similar to Super Troopers in many ways, yet at the same time, very different.
The combination of horror and comedy is perfectly done in this film, and if you are looking to laugh, be frightened, or both, this is a must see movie for you..
Spoofs of horror movies are hardly anything new, but the irreverent Broken Lizard comedy group have surprisingly pulled off an enjoyable movie here, one that is certainly much, much better than the terrible last two "Scary Movie" films combined.
Broken Lizard's first film was "Super Troopers" (2001), an amiable comedy that, after a very strong start, sorta fell apart in the second half.
The characters are fun (especially Coconut Pete and gallant masseur Lars, played by Kevin Heffernan), and I can say that in the climax, when the killer is revealed (a genuine surprise) and, in step with most slasher movies, refuses to die no matter many times he or she is trampled, crushed, stabbed or drowned, I was seriously doubled over in my chair I was laughing so hard.
As much as I loved "Super Troopers," I was almost afraid to go see "Club Dread." "Troopers" was like lightning in a bottle, that rare combination of everything done right to make a great comedy.
But, it's still a decent film worth the price of admission; and while it's not on the same level as "Troopers," I don't think it going to damage Broken Lizard's bright future..
I'm not sure if the Broken Lizard guys wanted to spoof horror or not, but I think they made a great funny horror movie.
First off, I love Super Troopers and Puddle Cruiser (the first two films from Broken Lizard.) I really wasn't sure what this movie was about, but I think the group is funny, and the other two movies were good- so, this should be pretty good as well.
It went on and on and on and on...I like Broken Lizard, and hopefully they do more movies...I just hope they're more like puddle cruiser and super troopers, and a lot less like dread..
Pretty hysterically at some points, too.As a big fan of Super Troopers (2001) and all of it's memorable, quotable dialogue, Broken Lizard manages to top their last film with the dialogue in this movie.Not only was it funny, but at some points, it had more than decent shock value.
Broken Lizard's Club Dread is a great, fun movie--especially for us in our late 30's and 40's.
It's obvious that the guys from Broken Lizard watched as many slasher films as I did growing up, and although they poke fun at the genre, it's in a playful and reverent way.
Certainly not for all tastes, Club Dread is great fun for anybody that rented Prom Night more than once as a kid, and for those of us that like to actually LAUGH at comedies.
Where's my penis?" A big recommendation to anyone who liked Super Troopers or horror movies.
This is a movie that like "Super Troopers" is going to take many many viewings in order to glean every bit of comedy and genius out of it.
This movie was definately not as funny as Super Troopers but is was not terrible.
See this film if you are a fan of satire, comedy, and the Broken Lizard style.
After seeing thier first two films (Puddle Cruiser and Super Troopers) I thought I would have a good grasp on their style and way or writing/acting.
Then why in hell did you go and see Club dread, this movie was funny, entertaining and everything I hoped for coming from the lizards, and that my friends is the true essence of movies, movie dont change life, I dont care about a touching story, all I want when I watch a movie is to get entertained, and I was when I watch Club Dread.The first time I watched Super Troopers I tought the movie was funny but not that much, after a few watching I started to like it more and more, and I know the same we occure when I get my hands on Club dread's DVD, especially since its gonna be longer.
Broken Lizard's newest offering, Club Dread, I found to be engagingly funny, with laughs pretty much around every corner.
The movie itself is a spoof of the Horror genre with Broken Lizard's trademark humor stamped on top of it.
Oh my I have heard so many BAD things about this pretty funny movie I'm a huge fan of "Super Troopers" I thought that was hilarious and I was counting down the days till Club Dread...
I thought right from the start of Club Dread it was going to be funny and it was now I will admit I don't think it was as funny as "Super Troopers" but it was still pretty funny.
It doesn't dive in to it as much as Scary Movie, or create another genre because it took itself too seriously like Scream, but I think it was so in the middle that people thought they were just going to a bad horror movie.
It wasn't as flat out hilarious as Super Troopers, but if you like humor that goes from being extremely subtle to completely outlandish in seconds then this movie is for you..
There definately weren't as many of the laugh out loud hysterical moments as there were in Super Troopers, but I was definately chuckling the whole time.The suprising thing is this is definately a different movie.
The killer is unbelievably perfect as a slasher-flick-psycho (especially considering who it is) and watching them is just as enjoyable as any of the antics.It's not a great movie, but definately worth your time if you're in the mood for some good dumb fun.
All in all I'd have to say Broken Lizard's Club Dread is one hell of a party film.
If you liked Super Troopers, stay home and watch it, do not see this movie.
Broken Lizard man I can't even begin to tell you, how much I liked their debut "Super Troopers" crazy movie with jokes packed so tightly that you couldn't breath between laughs.
I had very high hopes waiting for "Club Dread" - Bill Paxton, slasher theme, hedonistic island paradise, and of course broken lizard jokes, how can you go wrong with it.
Gladly I didn't pay for "Club Dread" that much.So, there were few good death scenes (hand on the knife), few great funny scenes (pacman for sure), but the whole movie wasn't funny, wasn't well made, hadn't got a heart and soul of previous Broken Lizard craziness, and that is just sad thing man..
Like Broken Lizard's previous film, the unexpected cult hit "Super Troopers," the overall style is crude and slapdash, almost as if the guys were making it all up as they went along.
I'm not saying that makes a film masterpiece, but it sure as hell makes a funny movie to anyone who liked Super Troopers but wasn't expecting a sequel..
they guys from super troopers hit it big with Broken Lizard's Club Dread.
for anyone who liked super troopers, i definately recommend this movie.
A mix of the two worst genres of movies which are horror & sex comedies = the brutally unfunny Club Dread..
I remember watching their last movie Super Troopers and thinking what a funny idea but these guys didn't execute it right.
Just like in their last film Super Troopers I didn't like any of the characters or think any of them were funny what so ever, however Super Troopers is a tad better than Club Dread but that's not saying too much.
Add a cute supermodel Brittany Daniel (Joe Dirt) who by the way was the only character I liked a little, and finally take a good actor like Bill Paxton and make him act like an ass and you have the perfect cast for Broken Lizard's Club Dread.As for the script like I said before good idea, bad execution but I should have expected this from the 5 guys who brought us Super Troopers. |
tt0085385 | Curtains | Samantha Sherwood (Samantha Eggar) is on stage practicing a role while the stage director, Jonathan Stryker (John Vernon), watches by the spotlight. Stryker later drives Samantha to a mental institution to have her committed. After Dr. Pendleton (Calvin Butler) mentions Samantha's placid composure, she attacks Stryker with a letter opener. Attendants run inside the doctors office and take her away in a straitjacket. Stryker asks for a moment alone with Samantha and the two of them appear very happy. It seems that Samantha is a method actress and Stryker had suggested to her that the only way to play the insane title character of Audra is the stay in an insane asylum so Samantha can get a first hand look at what it is to be a mental person.Samantha resides in the institution for some time as the weeks draw by, which soon turn into months, as she's surrounded by eerie and unstable residents. Stryker occasionally visits Samantha and is pleased to see her deteriorated state as her stay there is slowly dehumanizing her and thus will make her right for the role. But one day, Samantha reads the latest issue of Variety magazine to see that the casting for the movie Audra has begun. Angered that Stryker has abandoned her, she escapes from the asylum that night, breaks into his office, and throws photos of potential stars into the fireplace. Samantha stays for a few nights with an old girlfriend of hers who hides her until Samantha goes off saying "what I have to do won't take long."Amanda (Deborah Burgess), one of the audition hopefuls, has a sexual role-playing game with her boyfriend and talks about the casting sessions. Later, Amanda is driving in the rain when she sees her freaky doll in the middle of the road. She gets out to look at it, and it seems to grab her. Someone gets in Amanda's parked car and drives towards her. Fortunately, it is only a dream as Amanda wakes up in her own bed with her boyfriend by her side. As Amanda gets up out of bed to look at her sleeping boyfriend, a person wearing a eerie and ugly mask grabs her by the hair and stabs her to death with a chef's knife, and then takes her doll sitting by the bed.The next day, a group of very different actresses hoping to play the part of Audra arrive at Stryker's snow-covered dwelling. They are Patti (Lynne Griffin), a comedienne-aspiring actress always telling jokes and who moonlights at a local comedy clubs telling stand-up jokes. Brooke (Linda Thorson) is a veteran actress hoping the role will make her sagging stage and film career. Tara (Sandra Warren) is a tall, attractive actress hoping to make it big. Lauraine (Anne Ditchburn) is a timid and hesitant dancer with a skill in ballet. Christie (Lesleh Donaldson) is an ice-staking figure queen hoping the roll will start her acting career. Stryker arrives with the actresses sitting around the table until he notices that one of them is missing. The odd workman, Matthew (Michael Wincott), sits down with the women, in which Stryker mentions that Amanda is the actress whom is missing. Suddenly, Samantha arrives and sits at the table with the five other actresses which makes Stryker look very uncomfortable.Later that evening, Tara is out in the so-called "casting Jacuzzi" with Matthew making the moves onto him. In the house, Stryker and Samantha are arguing about Stryker's decision to have someone else play Audra. Christie walks by, listens by the door and walks in where Stryker tells her that he and Samantha were rehearing a play that he wrote. He leads Christie out and to her room where he tries to make the moves onto her. Outside the house, someone picks up a sickle just as Stryker leaves Christie alone in her bed to weep over being forced upon.The next morning, Christie goes out to the nearby frozen lake to skate. The music from her boom box suddenly stops. Christie skates over to the boom box and she finds the freaky doll buried under the snow. The masked killer is there on the ice and skates towards Christie with the sickle in hand. The killer swings and Christie is hit in her shoulder, but the skater fights back and knocks the killer down to the ice with the doll. Christie runs into the woods, but when she stops to rest beside a tree, the killer grabs her from behind and kills her.Later that morning, Stryker is in a room with Patti, Tara, Lauriane, and Brooke when Samantha arrives saying that she wants to act and not be left out. Stryker has her sit in front of the others and he puts the same killer's mask onto her. He tells Samantha to seduce him without using words. "Make me love you", Stryker tells Samantha, who does not do anything. Stryker pulls off the mask and points to a mirror and tells Samantha that her face is a mask too.Afterwards, Stryker talks to Patti who tells him a couple of jokes. He tells her that he does not think a casting session is necessary for her. Patti yells at him, claiming that she is as good as the other actresses. Stryker almost smiles and says that he is "enjoying a little bit of Audra".Matthew is seen riding away on a snowmobile cart towards the woods to look for Christie. The unseen killer follows him.Later that evening, Stryker asks Samantha where the hag mask is, to which Samantha does not know. Brooke, reading the script in her room, hears a noise and goes into the bathroom, where she discovers Christie's severed head in the toilet. She runs into a room where Stryker is working with Tara and Laurian. The director follows Brooke back to her room, but the severed head is gone. He calms Brooke down and the two of them kiss.Meanwhile, Lauraine is practicing her ballet dancing in a studio room when the killer walks in...A little later that night, Samantha sees Stryker in bed with a sleeping Brooke by his side. When Styker and Brooke are talking about Brooke being cast in the role of Audra, someone walks into the room and fires a gun at them in which both of them fly out the window. Hearing the gunshots, Tara walks outside where she sees the dead bodies of Stryker and Brooke and screams. She runs around the house looking for the others. She finds Laurian's dead body in her room, but she does not notice a dead Matthew floating in the Jacuzzi outside having been stabbed. Tara encounters the masked killer and is chased around the house. The chase leads to the props warehouse next to the house where Tara looks for a place to hide. Tara eventually bests the masked killer twice; first by luring the killer to stab at her coat enabling her to counter-attack, and then beats the killer with a wooden club, but each time the killer gets back up and resumes the pursuit. After hiding in an air vent, Tara crawls out when she thinks the killer has walked out of the room. But she makes a noise in which the killer runs back in and kills her by slashing her to death with the sickle.A little later, Samantha walks into the kitchen where Patti is opening up a bottle of champagne. Samantha tells her about the institution and how Stryker committed and abandoned her so he can look for younger talent for the role of Audra which includes Patti and the younger actresses. Samantha tells Patti that she just killed Stryker for his betrayal as well as Brooke who happened to be there as his latest female conquest. Patti tells Samantha that she is celebrating that she will get the role, but becomes a little hurt and upset over the news of Samantha killing Stryker. Samantha tells Patti to forget about the role and just to back to where she came from and assures Patti that she will not harm her or any of her friends. Suddenly, Patti smirks at Samantha and says: "there's only me left". Patti tells Samantha that SHE killed all the other actresses to prevent them from claiming the role that she was meant to get. Patti grabs a butcher knife off the kitchen counter and stabs Samantha who screams.The final shot shows Patti now doing her comedy bit in the same insane asylum where Samantha was committed before a group of residents most of whom are not paying attention to the deranged actress whom is apparently still pleased that she is still working in the entertainment business as the character of Audra. | insanity, cult, murder, violence | train | imdb | null |
tt1277953 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | The story continues from the events of the second film. Alex (Ben Stiller) has a nightmare about himself and his friends still stranded in Africa and finding they have all gotten old. He then wakes from his dream on his birthday, and the animals present him with a miniature model of New York City. Alex suggests to Marty (Chris Rock), Melman (David Schwimmer), and Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) that they should go to Monte Carlo to get the penguins to fly them back to New York City, which they agree to.In Monte Carlo, the penguins and the two chimpanzees, Mason and Phil, disguised as the King of Versailles, keep winning in gambling until Alex's gang's attempt to reach them blunders and sparks chaos in the Hotel De Paris. The hotel security calls Monaco Animal Control officer Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) to deal with the animals. But rather than capture them alive, DuBois desires their heads, mainly Alex's, as trophies. A high-speed chase ensues between the relentless DuBois and the animals in a truck driven by the penguins to reach their aircraft that was from the second film. The group departs on the plane, just barely escaping DuBois.In the skies of France, the plane's engines fail and the plane crashes into a suburban rail yard as the authorities close in. They come across a circus train and bang on it, desperately trying to get in. Gia, a jaguar (Jessica Chastain), sees the four zoo animals and Alex is smitten with her upon first sight of her. Seeing their only chance of escape is on the circus train, the four larger animals desperately claim that they are circus animals themselves, which convinces Stefano the sea lion (Martin Short) and Gia to let them in despite the protests of Vitaly the tiger (Bryan Cranston). The animals soon learn from Stefano that they are performing in Rome and London, where they plan to impress a promoter to get them on their first American tour. Before the zoo animals' claim is discredited, the penguins suddenly appear with a deal to purchase the circus themselves, resulting in the pleased departure of all the humans. Meanwhile, King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) falls in love with Sonya the bear (Frank Welker) and goes on a city tour across Rome. He accidentally breaks her tricycle, and buys her a motorcycle with the stolen coronation ring of the Pope. Meanwhile the others prepare for the performance at the Colosseum. Unfortunately, to the zoo animals' horror, the circus proves to be so terrible, the angered audience demands refunds, right to going to the point of chasing the circus to the departing train to London.En route to London, the zoo gang is in despair of having wasted their money on the failing circus and not any closer to getting home. Stefano soon reveals to Alex that Vitaly was once their inspiration. Once a professional ring jumper who used to leap through incrementally smaller hoops to excite crowds and was always pushing himself to the limit, his attempt at an impossible jump through a flaming pinkie ring ended in disaster when he burned his fur, which he had coated in extra virgin olive oil in order to slip through the narrow opening, destroying his confidence in his talent and the whole circus suffered by his example. An inspired Alex then has the train make a stop in the Alps and convinces the performers to rework their act to become the opposite of the world-famous human-only Cirque du Soleil as an animal-only lights and acrobatic show.He encourages the animals to try pursuing their ambitions and advises others to change acts they are unsuited for. Similarly the zoo animals are trying out new things too. Heartened by Alex's vision, the zoo animals and the circus animals develop sophisticated acts together and become closer friends in the process, especially Alex and Gia who find themselves falling in love.Meanwhile, DuBois is arrested & detained in Rome after causing problems with the local police officers while chasing the animals out of her jurisdiction, but escapes and researches Alex on the Internet, learning he was the missing lion from the zoo in New York. Once free, DuBois recruits her injured men, inspiring them with the French classic Non, je ne regrette rien, made famous by Édith Piaf, and heads toward the Alps, forcing the animals to proceed to London despite incomplete rehearsals. In London, the troupe prepares for the promoter in the audience, but Vitaly is discovered packing to leave. Despite the tiger's hostility to him, Alex convinces Vitaly to stay by reminding him of how he enjoys performing the impossible and suggests that he uses hair conditioner as a safer lubricant to perform his flaming ring jump. As a result, Vitaly's stunt is performed perfectly, which proves to be the opening of a spectacularly successful show. After the impressed promoter arranges for an American tour, DuBois shows up with a paper showing that Alex was missing. Though the penguins are able to foil DuBois's plan to capture Alex, the lion is forced to confess that the four of them are just zoo animals trying to get home, disappointing the others who feel used by these lying amateurs who could have gotten them killed developing and performing their new acts.Finally, both the ashamed zoo animals and the circus arrive in New York City. However, Gia, Vitaly and Stefano find that even after learning the truth about Alex's gang, they are ready to forgive their new friends without whom their lives and performances feel woefully incomplete. Likewise, the zoo group and Julien finally arrive at the gates of the closed Central Park Zoo, only to realize that their adventure has changed them too much to return to captivity and that they were "home" when they joined the circus. The zoo animals resolve to return to the circus and reconcile with their new friends, but they are then tranquilized and captured by DuBois. The zoo staff, delighted by Alex's reappearance, thank DuBois, incorrectly believing that she was trying to return the missing animals. Unnoticed, Julien manages to reach the circus (despite being darted by DuBois) and the penguins realize that the group had been ambushed. Upon learning about the zoo animals' plight, Gia and Vitaly convince the circus animals to rescue their friends and they set out for the zoo, performing aboard a flying circus, with the rescue mission dubbed "Operation: Afro Circus Rescue."Meanwhile at the zoo, Alex awakens to find that he along with Marty, Melman, and Gloria are in their enclosures, surrounded by tall chain-link fences. DuBois steps on stage to receive a million-dollar check of appreciation from the zoo, but at the same time secretly loads a poison-filled dart into a gun which she hides inside a foam finger in preparation to kill Alex. The circus animals arrive in time to stop her and a massive brawl occurs where the circus uses all of what they had developed as part of their revamped act. As the group tries to leave, the insane DuBois attempts to kill Stefano, who is stranded at the zoo. However, Alex saves Stefano and all the animals then defeat DuBois and escape.Heartened by this valiant demonstration of their new friends' love, Alex and his friends decide to join the circus permanently. With the circus reunited, the animals all happily proceed with their American tour. Meanwhile, thanks to Skipper, DuBois and her men find themselves, oddly enough just like Alex and his friends in the first film, inside shipping crates on a cargo ship bound for the island of Madagascar. | sentimental | train | imdb | This film has them traveling with a group of circus animals all throughout Europe on the run from a French animal hunter who has killed every animal and has mounted their head on her wall, except for a lion.This movie stars the voice talents of Ben Stiller (Tower Heist, Tropic Thunder), Chris Rock (Grown ups, The Longest Yard), David Schwimmer (Friends, John Carter), Jada Pinkett Smith (Ali, Collateral), Sasha Baron Cohen (Borat, Bruno), Cedric the Entertainer (Larry Crowne, Ice Age), and Bryan Cranston (Drive, Breaking Bad).
Everyone did a great job with their characters and it was a blast to hear all these familiar voices in a film together again.I have been a fan of the previous "Madagascar" films, and that still is the case, but I really didn't have any hype for this movie because from the trailers, it didn't really look that good.
There are other film franchises that grow from strength to strength though, such as Ice Age where we get to go on an incredibly long journey with its characters trying to survive the inevitable change and extinction, and then there's Madagascar, with Europe's Most Wanted surprisingly having a lot more to offer than what it had suggested.We go back to where we last left off, rejoining Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) who are still in Africa, but getting homesick and yearn for their lives back in New York.
It's clearly one of the better 3D efforts in an animated feature film that took pains to ensure the medium got milked for the premium ticket you paid for.Then the narrative goes up a notch with the introduction of some circus animals with whom our protagonists get to mix with in order to momentarily escape the fanatical clutches of DuBois, and in comes the opportunity to expand on its cast, with the likes of Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short entering the fray as a cheetah, tiger and sea lion respectively, each with its own distinct quirk, objective and baggage.
It's a zoo animal meets circus animal rivalry formed, and Alex and gang wanting to stick around, with thanks to the Penguins, because the circus is en route to Rome and London, where an American circus event promoter would be in town to evaluate if the troupe can make money if brought across the Atlantic, and naturally, New York.I'm rather surprised by the depth of the narrative here, as Eric Damell and Noah Baumbach's screenplay managed to squeeze a lot in under 90 minutes sans end credits roll.
The major new entrants to this installment will also become crowd favourites, such as the girly cheetah Gia, the curt Russian tiger Vitaly who has to reclaim his theatrical mojo, and Stefano the sea lion trying his very best to hold the entire troupe together, while not being very bright himself.Every scene got designed to have the characters endear themselves to the audience, even if they come silent, such as the bicycle riding bear, and a couple of English dogs voiced by the likes of Vinnie Jones, Steve Jones and Nick Fletcher.
Since the police team where obviously the bad guys (DuBois only wants to capture Mike (Ben Stiller) so she can add his head to her mounted collection of stuffed animals on her office wall) it was ironic that I watched this in France since the police were portrayed as bunch gung-ho obsessive freaks (DuBois crawls around on all fours to sniff down her prey like a dog come insect).
The story incorporates new characters beautifully by adding a love interest for Alex (Gia, voiced by Jessica Chastain), a dopey friend for Marty (Stefano, voiced by Martin Short), and a fallen hero everyone can cheer for (Vitaly, a tiger voiced by Bryan Cranston).
These moments only accounted for about 5 of the nearly 90 minutes of running time, so do not let that deter you from enjoying this chaotic adventure.Madagascar 3 is just like going to the circus, but with more laughter and less wondering about how the animals are treated backstage.
So, in review, take the kids if you've drank enough coffee (I fell asleep twice), expect nothing new, be impressed with the superb animation, let the kids talk about it for a few minutes after the movie, and watch Ben Stiller play a lion who acts like Ben Stiller..
This time Alex and the gang are on the run from an evil French Animal killer(who I swear is the dead ringer of Mother Gothel from Tangled down to the features and Cruella De Vil's persona)who is trying to kill Alex for her collection of animal heads that she got.So Alec and the gang head off to Europe as they stumble across a circus hideout where Alec meets a female tiger like himself(well his a Lion I know that) and well you can probably figure out the rest yourselves.The animation is great and the charcthers are good,now I tell you one of my favourite scenes,its the part where Alec and the female tiger are going around in loops to the song Firework by Katy Perry and another was the part where Marty the Zebra was driving the car with Alec and his other CO,that was so funny.But since this looks like the last one of the trilogy.I hope that there isn't another sequel to this movie.
Madagascar 3 : Europe 's Most Wanted is much greater than before, more does not make it a good movie, it's just cool , the first 30 minutes are good and fun , the plot is even cool, even with several problems , the characters remain good , now the penguins have more prominence , the soundtrack is good , has some Italian songs , King Julian has more prominence than the other films , I had the opportunity to watch this movie in the theater , and it was good fun, has to pass time, also the film is not even over, the villain of the film is better than the second film, more does not make it great , even more so she convinces , Madagascar 3 : Europe 's most Wanted is a good pass time for when you bored.
'MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED': Two Stars (Out of Five) The second sequel to the popular DreamWorks animated movie finds the animal characters from the first two films once again trying to make their way home to New York Central Zoo, where they originally escaped from.
Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter and Tom McGrath all reprise their voice roles and are joined this time by Jessica Chastain, Frances McDormand, Bryan Cranston and Martin Short.
Should please kids though.Alex the lion (Stiller), Marty the zebra (Rock), Melman the giraffe (Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Smith) are still trying to make their way home to the New York Central Zoo, which they escaped from in the original film and traveled to Madagascar (with the help of four penguins).
good job to the director Eric Darnhill and Tom Macgrat.This Movie was Hillariously Brilliant People now can spend their money on a good movie which is worth watching.enjoyed every minute of this movie.its basicaly a story of few animal friends who are finding their way back to their home new york , unfrotunatly they are stuck in Africa.
This time the film starts in Africa as they await the arrival of the penguins (animals who also left the zoo from the first movie) to take them back to the zoo.Apparently in the movie I didn't see Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), the penguins had created a crude aircraft that could fly to Monte Carlo but didn't bring the main characters for some unknown reason.
Madagascar 3 is not a movie I deem perfect, there is some suggestive dialogue during King Julien's romance especially(and in other parts of the film) that will fly over children's heads and only adults will get(same goes with the glove slap) and you do have to suspend disbelief a bit in Alex's dream when the penguins use warp drive for their airship(which you can't do in the earth's atmosphere), especially if you are a scientist.On the other hand, it is a fun and hugely enjoyable film.
Bryan Cranston is subtly menacing, Jessica Chastain is charming and Martin Short is funny, but the jewel(and possibly the best single voice-over of the three movies) is Frances McDormand, whose DuBois is note-perfect.In conclusion, a very good sequel and movie and my vote for the best of the Madagascar movies.
A distinct lack of charm and originality have never been criticisms to inspire a studio to scrap a billion dollar franchise in favour of doing something a little more worthwhile, so Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) return four years after their detour to Africa for another continent-spanning adventure, this time in Europe.
He's in the movie throughout most of its entirety, but he never does anything to change the plot, other than having a side-story about his relationship with a bear on a tricycle.Overall, Madagascar 3 is a fun time for the whole family.
In Madagascar 3, Alex the lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are back still trying to find their way back to the New York City Zoo. They join a circus that promises of traveling to America.
I am no fan of the technology but still if I am ever given a choice to sit in for a 3D movie I will go for an animation rather than a motion picture.Not a bad way to spend an evening and if you want to watch make sure you try your best to watch in HD or Blu Ray, the animations are to die for.TITLE: MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPES MOST WANTED DIRECTED BY: Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath STARRING: BEN STILLER, CHRIS ROCK, David SCHWIMMER, JADA PINKETT SMITH, SACHA BARON COHEN and CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER RATED: PG13 RATING: 06/10 RUNTIME: 93 MINUTES.
But for viewers beyond 9th Grade {Ages 15 and older}, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted has little.Picking up where we left off in Escape 2 Africa, Alex the Lion {Ben Stiller}, Marty the Zebra {Chris Rock, acting like an annoying party guest at times}, Gloria the Hippo {Jada Pinkett Smith}, Melman the Giraffe {David Schwimmer} and King Julien, the Lemur {Sacha Baron Cohen} decides to return home this time to the Central Park Zoo. But first, they attempt to pick up their fellow friends, the Penguins and the Monkeys in France's Monte Carlo.The plan soon goes into danger mode when the animals are being chased by Captain Chantel DuBois {Frances Macdormand}.
The Madagascar series feels like it is playing itself out, especially with the Penguins TV series being out there.What makes this movie fun is not the core characters.
The story leaves plenty of room and opportunities for fun and gags, involving all of the characters, new and old ones.Also the animations seemed to be more smooth, as if they decided to spend some more money and/or to put some more time into the making of this movie this time.
This is the third and final (by now) chapter of the Madagascar franchise, and it's good as his predecessors.Here Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are ''stuck'' in Africa, and then Alex has a nightmare where all his friends are old, but soon he wakes up and remembers that is his birthday, and has the idea to go to Monte Carlo and get the penguins, but they are soon discovered by a French animal catcher named Captain Chantal DuBois that wants to kill Alex for his head on the wall, but when they defeat her, the plane falls on the ground and the quartet joins a travelling circus direct to the Usa.And they soon befriend a Russian tiger named Vitaly, a female Jaguar, a Italian sea lion named Stefano and few other animals.
They perform in Rome, Saragoza, and then New York, and the circus animals help the quartet in knocking off forever Captain DuBois, sending her on a ship to Madagascar.The first Madagascar movie was great (and I wrote a long review about it), the second was good and this is also well made.The animation is good as always, the soundtrack nice to hear at (with the catchy song AFRO CIRCUS) and the actors are all good, especially Ben Stiller as Alex, Martin Short as Stefano and Oscar winner Frances McDormand as the villain Chantal DuBois.I recommend this movie to the fans of the trilogy, but (ALERT) you can't see this if you didn't saw the first and the second chapter!.
To be blatantly honest, the film is really not that funny despite the amount of talent involved.King Julian is one of my all-time favourite animated characters, but the King Julian I fell in love with in Mad 1 and 2 disappeared in screen time and stripped down to a form of his lesser self in this instalment, being replaced by the less likable Stefano who's not just a blubber of a sealion, but also a blubbering mess.If you prefer a visual overload without any sort of narrative depth or comedy anyone over five can enjoy, then this is the movie for you..
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most WantedThe thing about Europe's Most Wanted is most often the wanted is a Canadian fleeing dismemberment charges back home.However, in the case of this animated movie, the hunted are all Americans.Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) flee Madagascar for their home in NYC.Stopping in Monte Carlo to pick up their penguin pals' plane, the zoo crew attracts an Animal Control officer (Frances McDormand) determined to mount Alex's pride.But when their plane doesn't pan out, Alex and the gang must join a traveling circus disguised as Big Top performers.While the cast has grown long in the fang, the injection of new characters, garish colours and foreign venues has revitalizes this waning series.Incidentally, between a zoo and a circus, these exotic creatures would suffer less abuse hiding in an abattoir.
Madagascar 3 EMW brings us back to the happy fun group of Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman, along with King Julien, Maurice, Mort, and the penguins.Seeking the penguins in Monte Carlo, the group made chaos in a hotel and thus we're introduced to the antagonist Captain Chantel DuBois, the leader of the French Animal Control.
Well, to be honest i really didn't like the first Madagascar movie, the second one was better, but still wasn't good enough and now we have the third one and this is the first of the trilogy that doesn't have an original story, common this is the story you have already seen or hear of at least a million times, the only interesting part is the very beginning and thats it, the villain is in some aspects a good one, the jokes are bad, i mean even for a kid, the story is a cliché, the music by Hanz Zimmer (Alex on the spot) is awesome (only the Hanz Zimmer version, with no singer) the songs used were good, i didn't expect more for a movie like this, this is not a bad film, but if you want to see the same story over and over only that this time with Madagascar characters, go ahead, to me this movie is a 6 out of 10.
The makers went over board and decided to make the movie unrealistic to the core, Tom and Jerry style.DreamWorks Animation's CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, confirmed in 2008 that there will be a part three to Alex and his crew's adventure, promising us that we will see them return to New York.The animation is just as good as the other installments and as usual the producers gave King Julien XIII (Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat 2006 and The Dictator 2012) his own story and this time it is a romantic one.
Main characters were good as usual but the villain was awful the animation great the story ok but a full mess the best bit was the London part of the circus the film ended up more structured..
Chantel DuBois is a great addition to the other villains from Dreamworks Animation's other films and the voice work from Frances McDormand is excellent while Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, and the new voice actors voiced the other characters brilliantly.The best part would have to go to the animation.
The character animation on the animals is fine and their fur is nicely detailed.Overall, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is by no means a great family movie and the best of the series.
Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted is a great movie with a terrific storyline,humor,cast and characters.I found it to be as good,or possibly better than the first two,it could be better but I haven't seen them in a good while to say so.I've always enjoyed the movies cast,especially Ben Stiller and Sacha Baron Cohen,Stiller because I think hes an amazing actor and Cohen because he is so funny.I wouldn't say that I'm much of a fan of these movies,but if they continue to make more,ill continue to watch.The gang get away from Africa and are now finding there way back to New York,they manage to find a way home by joining a traveling circus headed to there destination..
Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller) and his mates depart Africa for New York, but not before going via Europe with a travelling circus and gaining the attention of the malevolent animal control Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand).
With the addition of a bunch of new characters and a circus themed story Madagascar 3 simply is the best animated film released this year.
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted might just be the best animated film I have seen in a couple of years!
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted continues with the adventures of Alex(Ben Stiller), Marty(Chris Rock), Gloria(Jada Pinkett Smith) & Melman(David Schwimmer) as they attempt to return to New York City, their home. |
tt0181852 | Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | Following the events of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day", John Connor (Nick Stahl) has been living off-the-grid in Los Angeles. Although Judgment Day did not occur on August 29, 1997, the date given by the Terminator in the previous film, John does not believe that the prophesied war between humans and Skynet has been averted. Skynet sends a new Terminator model, the T-X (Kristanna Loken), back in time to July 24, 2004. Unable to locate John, it has been sent to kill his future lieutenants in the human Resistance. A more advanced model than previous Terminators, the T-X has an endoskeleton with built-in advanced weaponry, a liquid metal exterior similar to the T-1000, and the ability to control other machines. The Resistance sends a reprogrammed T-850 model 101 Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time to protect the T-X's targets, including Kate Brewster (Claire Danes) and Connor.The T-X is transported into the city. It kills a woman, takes her Lexus coupe and dons her clothing. It dials in via modem to the school district database and builds a list of targets. When it is stopped by an officer (Jay Acovone) for speeding, it increases its breast size and admires his Smith & Wesson 4506-1 pistol.Brewster and her fiancee Scott Peterson (Mark Famiglietti) are in a department store adding items to their wedding gift registry. Her father, Lieutenant General Robert Brewster (David Andrews) calls to tell her he won't be able to visit due to computer problems at work. A worker tells General Brewster that a virus has infected half the public internet and many military applications.The T-850 Terminator arrives in the desert outside LA and locates a bar open for women's night. It enters and takes clothing from a male stripper. Meanwhile, John breaks into a veterinary office to obtain drugs to treat injuries he sustained in a motorcycle accident.Brewster arrives at the veterinary clinic at 5:00 am to meet a customer whose cat is ill. She encounters John, disarming him due to his drug-induced weakness and locks him in a kennel cage just before the customer arrives. A few minutes later the T-X arrives, seeking Brewster. It kills the customer with the officer's pistol, and finds a small piece of gauze with blood on it. When it licks it to examine the blood sample, it immediately identifies John himself. Kate Brewster manages to escape to the parking lot where the T-X intercepts her. It holds a boot on Kate's neck, demanding Connor's location. The Terminator arrives and interrupts the interrogation by smashing the T-X into a concrete block building at high speed with a truck. The Terminator learns Connor's location from Brewster, locks her in the back of her truck, and then finds Connor. When the T-X rises from the mass of concrete debris, The Terminator instructs Connor to run, and moves forward to intercept the T-X.Connor gets in Brewster's truck and drives away at high speed. In a fight with the Terminator, the T-X discharges a plasma weapon that disables the Terminator. The T-X then injects several nearby emergency vehicles with nano-machines and dispatches them in pursuit of Connor in Brewster's truck. The T-X walks by the police and emergency responders unnoticed and commandeers a large mobile crane and follows after the emergency vehicles. The Terminator revives and seizes a police motorcycle from an officer and begins to chase after the T-X. During the chase, the T-X and The Terminator destroy many vehicles and buildings. The Terminator finally ejects the T-X from the cab but the T-X catches hold of the truck by the rear bumper. The Transformer drops the crane hook into a manhole, engaging the cable and jumps to Brewster's truck. As the T-X reenters the crane's cab, the cable runs out and the crane and rig are flipped upside down. The T-X emerges from the wreckage unable to pursue Brewster's truck any further.Driving Brewster's truck, the Terminator tells Connor that in the future Connor and Brewster are married, and that it successfully killed Connor in 2032. Brewster then captured the Terminator and reprogrammed it to return to the past and protect them.The Terminator saves Connor and Brewster from the T-X's attack, and the three visit the mausoleum where Sarah Connor is buried, after she died of leukemia 10 years ago. Inside the casket they find a weapons cache left by Sarah's friends as stipulated in her will, a backup in case Judgment Day was not averted. The T-X, impersonating Brewster's boyfriend, arrives shortly after the police and a battle ensues, but Connor and the Terminator steal a hearse and escape. They rescue Brewster from the T-X as it transforms from her fiancee back into a female shape, deterring it temporarily by hitting it with a rocket-propelled-grenade. A short distance away, the T-X pursues them on foot, cutting through the roof of the hearse, before they drive under a semi-truck trailer which scrapes off the roof and leaving the T-X behind. The Terminator has been programmed to take Connor and Brewster to a safe location so that they will survive Judgment Day, set to occur in a few hours. The Terminator tells John and Kate that Kate's father is also on the T-X's list of targets. After the destruction of Cyberdyne Systems (in Terminator 2: Judgment Day), the United States Air Force took over the Skynet project and renamed it CRS, Cyber Research Systems. The project is headed by Kate's father. When John insists that they attempt to prevent Skynet from being activated, the Terminator refuses, saying he's not programmed to follow John's orders. Kate insists that the Terminator aide them in rescuing her father and the Terminator complies, saying it's programmed to follow her direction.At his command base, Kate's father is dealing with early indications of serious problems with the public cell, communications, Internet, and satellite transmissions, apparently in the form of a virus. T-X enters the secure facility disguised as a female airman unchecked by any security. She finds, activates and assumes control of several T1-2 cyborg hunter-killers.The Terminator, Brewster, and Connor enter the secure CRS facility unopposed and arrive in the master control room too late to prevent her father and the military from activating Skynet. Brewster is ordered by his superiors to activate Skynet so it can eradicate the virus that has now infected the public network, satellite communications, and taken away their control of the military network.When Brewster activates Skynet, it assumes control of the military's network, Minuteman missile system, and submarine missile systems, interrupting the human's control of the system just as the T-X arrives. The T-X in the form of Brewster's daughter enters the control room and is temporarily interrupted in its attempt to kill General Brewster by The Terminator, who shoots it with a machine gun. Before it can be stopped however it rises, transformed into its female shape. and shoots General Brewster, mortally wounding him. The Terminator repulses the T-X attack, firing repeated rounds from a Sage Control SL-6 Rotary Launcher, sending it down an elevator shaft. Connor asks the dying General for the supposed location of Skynet's system core. The General takes them to his office where the access codes are located in his safe. En route they are attacked by two T1-2 cyborgs which The Terminator defeats by detaching one unit's head and using its own GE M134 Minigun against the other unit.General Brewster tells Conner to go to Crystal Peak, a hardened military base in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Terminator fights the T-X and tells Brewster and Connor to get to his plane on the nearby runway. The T-X and The Terminator fight until the T-X defeats The Terminator, after which she injects him with nano-machines. As Connor and Brewster escape, they follow a particle accelerator towards the runway but they are attacked by a small hunter-killer. Brewster suddenly seizes a AKMS Assault rifle and destroys one of the robots -- John remarks that she suddenly reminds him of his mother. En route to the aircraft runway, the T-X attacks them. Connor turns on the particle accelerator and its massive electromagnetic energy attracts the T-X so strongly it cannot remove itself.The Terminator reboots and reattaches its head, partially detached by the T-X. In the particle accelerator loop, the T-X appears to be disintegrating but manages to engage a electric saw and begin to cut through the accelerator shielding.In the airplane hanger, Connor and Brewster attempt to board the light aircraft, but The Terminator attacks them, powerless to stop itself because of the T-X's injected nano-machines. Connor reminds him of his primary mission, to protect Connor and Brewster. The Terminator is able to override the T-X's programming and shuts itself down before it kills Connor.Connor and Brewster fly to Crystal Peak, however shortly after they arrive the are attacked by the T-X who crash-lands a helicopter into the base's entrance tunnel. As they frantically try to open the blast doors, The Terminator, which had rebooted it's core functions, crash-lands a second, larger helicopter and smashes the T-X under its wreckage. Even with its legs severed the T-X continues to pursue Connor and Brewster, but the Terminator traps it under a blast door and detonates its last remaining hydrogen fuel cell in the T-X's mouth, the Terminator then coldly tells the T-X "You are Terminated", before the fuel cell explodes, destroying both of them.Connor and Brewster prepare to detonate the C-4 they have brought with them only to discover that Crystal Peak does not house Skynet's core, but is rather a Cold War-era fallout shelter for high-ranking government officials; General Brewster sent them there to protect them from the impending nuclear holocaust initiated by Skynet.John remarks in voiceover that Skynet did not have a core but is distributed software that is located in the cloud on multiple networks and computers all over the world, allowing for redundancy and failure of independent programs, making it effectively impossible to shut down. Skynet begins a series of nuclear attacks on cities across the world, commencing Judgment Day. Soon after the attacks the communications equipment at Crystal Peak picks up transmissions from amateur radio operators and Montana's civil defense, to which Connor responds as the person in charge. | entertaining, violence, action, alternate history, murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0092580 | Aria | This is an anthology film featuring 10 different segments told entirely in the song of opera."Un ballo in maschera"A fictionalized account of a 1931 assassination attempt on King Zog of Albania (Theresa Russell) in Vienna, Austria during his visit to an opera house. It is notable for his shooting back at his three would-be assassins and surviving.
Directed by Nicolas Roeg
(14 minutes)"La vergine degli angeli" from La forza del destino(Filmed in black and white) Three London teenagers named Marie (Nicola Swain), Travis (Jackson Kyle), and Kate (Marianne McLaughlin) skip school and steal a car. They go for a joyride around North London until the police give chase. They wreck the car and flee on foot after setting it on fire and get away with no one the wiser.
Directed by Charles Sturridge
(5 minutes)"Armide"Two cleaning women (Marion Peterson and Valérie Allain) try to attract the attention of oblivious bodybuilders at a local gym in Paris. But the bodybuilders are too focused on their workouts then pay attention to the two young women... even when they strip off all of their clothes and pose completely naked.
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard
(11 minutes)"Rigoletto"A hilarious bedroom farce set in San Luis Obispo's famous Madonna Inn, in which a Hollywood movie producer named Preston (Buck Henry) cheats on his wife Phoebe (Anita Morris) with a fashion model Gilda (Beverly D'Angelo), unaware that Phoebe, too, is there with a clandestine lover of her own named Jake (Gary Kasper). Despite never running into each other, Preston and Phoebe return home and watch a lovemaking tape of their adventure, only to discover that the motel valet switched tapes with them by accident and Preston and Phoebe's infidelity is exposed. (This is one of the few segments with actual dialogue.)
Directed by Julien Temple
(14 minutes)"Glück, das mir verblieb" from Die tote Stadt"A look at the seemingly-dead city of Bruges, Belgium. Scenic footage of the empty streets and cemeteries is inter-cut with a opera duet of two lovers, as a beautiful virgin named Mariette (Elizabeth Hurley) is stripped naked by her lover Paul (Peter Birch) and, after she expresses her affection for him, she loses her virginity to him.
Directed by Bruce Beresford
(5 minutes)"Les Boréades"A re-creation of opening night at Paris's Théâtre Le Ranelagh in 1734. The audience is filled with a raffish assortment of inmates from an insane asylum. Featuring Julie Hagerty, Geneviève Page, Sandrine Dumas, and Chris Campion as some of the inmates.
Directed by Robert Altman
(7 minutes)"Liebestod" from Tristan und IsoldeTwo young teenage lovers (Bridget Fonda and James Mathers) arrive in Las Vegas. After driving down Fremont Street, they check into a hotel room where they have very hot and passionate sex. Afterwords, while taking a bath, they both kill themselves in a suicide pact by slashing their wrists and die holding one another in the bathtub.
Directed by Franc Roddam
(7 minutes)"Nessun dorma" from TurandotAfter a car crash, a lovely young woman (Linzu Drew) has a near-death experience where she imagines her body is being adorned by jewels mirroring her injuries, in a tribal ritual parallel to the procedures of the surgical team treating her, until she wakes up in the operating room after resuscitation.
Directed by Ken Russell
(7 minutes)"Depuis le jour" from LouiseA veteran opera singer (Amy Johnson) gives her final performance, inter-cut by 8mm home movies of an early love affair between her younger self (Tila Swinton) and a guy (Spencer Leigh).
Directed by Derek Jarman
(6 minutes)"Vesti la giubba" from PagliacciA has-been actor (John Hurt) remembers his happier days while arriving at an opera house, visiting the dressing room to put on his clown makeup, and performing the aria for his audience of one; a young woman (Sophie Ward) who sits in the only occupied box in the theater. (This story provides a vague framing narrative to link together the other segments.)
Directed by Bill Bryden
(4 minutes) | psychedelic, murder, violence, romantic | train | imdb | null |
tt0300015 | I Capture the Castle | Cassandra Mortmain lives with her family in a tumbledown castle near the coast in England. Their father, James Mortmain, is a selfish, eccentric novelist. Their stepmother, Topaz, a nudist and artist, Rose, the oldest sister,
is very beautiful. Their younger brother is somewhat odd and isolated from people his
age. Stephen Doyle, their ever faithful and gentle caretaker, has lived with the family for years, and has always been in love with Cassandra. In this array of fascinating characters, Cassandra struggles to find her place in the
world and, at the same time, be who she truly is. The entire story is told through Cassandra's diary and her wonderful but naive imagination and outlook on life.The Mortmains have squeaked by on residuals from James's one and only book. But, when a letter arrives with news that the book is out of print, they seem doomed to be evicted from the castle. When their landlords, two brothers from America, come to the castle on a rainy night after having car trouble, it seems that Lady Luck is on their side. Frustrated by her family's poverty and seeing an opportunity, Rose determines to catch Simon, the older brother, even though she does not love him. Cassandra helps her sister, hoping her sister will fall in love with Simon as well as have his wealth help their family from its dire straits. Neil, the younger brother, quickly sees through Rose's scheme and they take an almost instant dislike to each other. The arrival of Simon's family from London will throw the Mortmain family's unstable subsistence into a whirlwind of emotions, complex realities, secrets revealed, and affairs of the heart that they could never have dreamed of.Over time Cassandra falls in love with Simon. But her love is to be kept hidden because he is Rose's. Meanwhile, Cassandra has to deal with Stephen's unwanted attention. He is gorgeous and very caring of Cassandra and her family, and has been in unrequited love with Cassandra for many years. But their relationship is tarnished when Stephen tries to make love to her, divulging his passionate love and obsession for her. When he realizes that Cassandra loves Simon and will never love him back, Stephen leaves for London. He becomes a model and lives with the much older female photographer who seduces him, in an attractive studio/apartment.Cassandra's world becomes even more entangled one night when she is alone at the castle. Simon comes for a visit and spends the evening with her, eventually dancing with her at his family's home in a beautiful room, and kissing her. Cassandra is astonished at her response to Simon, and begins to despise her sister and her own forbidden desire for Simon.Cassandra receives a letter from Rose and goes to London, where Rose is staying with the Cotton family as they prepare for Rose and Simon's wedding. Cassandra quickly finds that not all is well with the couple, and upset to see Rose treating Simon with disdain. Later that night Rose admits she does not love Simon, but will marry him anyway so that their family will be taken care of. She and Cassandra have a terrible fight when Rose realizes that Cassandra has fallen in love with Simon. Cassandra runs away into the night, realizes she has no money, and phones Stephen to help her get back home.The next morning Cassandra finds out that Rose and Neil ran away with each other later after her fight with Rose, finally admitting the love they denied for the past several months. Simon is heartbroken but unable to stop loving Rose much to Cassandra's pain and anger.There is a side story of Topaz becoming jealous of James and fearing his is having an affair with Simon and Neil's mother. Cassandra and her brother, determined to make their father write again, imprison him in a tower on their property, supplying him with his typewriter, paper, food, etc. At first James refuses to actually write anything again but finally breaks through his writer's block. Topaz returns from London and is horrified to find that James has been held int the tower. But she is overjoyed to see him writing again and they fall in love all over again.James's new book becomes a hit and he returns to London to begin book tours. Stephen decides being a model is not for him, and he leaves with a friend of Cassandra's.Cassandra leaves her hope of ever being with Simon, and resolves to waiting for fate to bring her someone who will be her true love. The ending is wonderful, a great finish to an adult look at the developing of Cassandra spirit and mind, leaving the veiwer with the realisation that all her innocence is shed and that she can now face the world without rose tinted glasses. She has hope and she knows that she will indeed live to become a talented and happy woman. After all she will love in the future to come. | insanity, romantic | train | imdb | null |
tt0093779 | The Princess Bride | Fairy tale story-within-a-story with an all-star cast.In the frame story, a grandfather (Peter Falk) reads a favorite book to his sick grandson (Fred Savage). The book he reads, The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern, is about the most beautiful woman in the world, the hero who loves her, and the evil prince who says he wants to marry her.The lovely Buttercup (Robin Wright) is kidnapped on the eve of her wedding to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon) of Florin. (Buttercup isn't in love with Humperdinck; long ago she gave her heart to Westley (Cary Elwes), a farmhand. But she's given Westley up for dead because his ship was captured by the notorious take-no-prisoners Dread Pirate Roberts and she's heard nothing for years, so she might as well marry Humperdinck.) The kidnappers carry her off in a boat and up the Cliffs of Insanity, pursued by a mysterious masked man in black. At the top of the cliffs, Vizzini the Sicilian (Wallace Shawn), the chief bad guy, leaves his henchman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) to deal with the man in black. Inigo is a superb swordsman, but in a spectacular cliff-top duel, the man in black proves to be better. Sparing Inigo's life, he goes off in pursuit of Buttercup and her captors. The huge and immensely strong Fezzik (André the Giant), Vizzini's remaining henchman, tries to overpower him, but the man in black manages to choke Fezzik until he loses consciousness.When he catches up with Vizzini and his captive, the man in black challenges the Sicilian to a battle of wits in which one of them is sure to die. He has a packet of highly poisonous iocaine powder and two goblets of wine. Out of Vizzini's sight, he adds iocaine to one of the goblets. He places one goblet in front of Vizzini and one in front of himself. Vizzini must choose whether to drink from the goblet given to him or the one the man in black kept for himself; the man in black will drink from the remaining goblet. After a fevered application of logic, Vizzini chooses, drinks, and dies -- the man in black, who has spent years developing a tolerance of iocaine, has poisoned both goblets.The man in black tells Buttercup he's the Dread Pirate Roberts and he's taking her to his ship. Buttercup, infuriated that the man who killed Westley has come after her, pushes him down a mountainside. As he tumbles down the steep incline, he says "As you wish..." -- which Westley used to say to Buttercup. Realizing that the man in black is Westley, Buttercup goes down after him and learns his story: rather than killing him, the Dread Pirate Roberts took Westley on as his apprentice. He taught Westley everything he knew, then retired, bestowing his ship and his name on Westley. Westley didn't reveal himself to Buttercup at first because he didn't think she still loved him.Meanwhile, Prince Humperdinck -- who of course arranged the kidnapping -- has raised the alarm and given chase. He wants an excuse to go to war with Guilder, the neighboring country toward which Buttercup's captors were carrying her. Westley and Buttercup flee into the fearsome Fire Swamp to escape their pursuers.The Fire Swamp offers no end of excitement: hungry ROUSes (rodents of unusual size), lightning sand (quicksand on steroids), and unpredictable jets of flame shooting out of the ground -- but Westley gets them through it. Alas, it's all for nothing; they're captured by Prince Humperdinck and his men as soon as they emerge from the swamp.So Buttercup makes a deal; she'll go back and marry Humperdinck in exchange for Westley's freedom. Humperdinck has no intention of holding up his end of the bargain and turns Westley over to his friend and lieutenant, Count Rugen (Christopher Guest), as soon as Buttercup is out of earshot.Count Rugen is a cruel and arrogant man whose history is tied to Inigo Montoya's. Twenty years before, the count visited Inigo's father Diego Montoya, a famously skilled swordsmith, and commissioned a sword of the highest quality. The job was challenging because Count Rugen (who did not give his name) has six fingers on his right hand. When the count came to collect his new weapon, which was the best Diego Montoya had ever made, Rugen would pay only a fraction of the agreed-upon cost. When Montoya objected, Count Rugen killed him. Inigo challenged his father's killer to a duel, but he was only 11; the count bested him easily, left him with a scar on each cheek, and rode off -- without his new sword. The grief-stricken boy vowed to avenge his father and spent the next twenty years studying swordsmanship and searching for the six-fingered man. He kept the sword.Count Rugen has made a long study of pain and has built the Machine, a suction-cup-based instrument of torture which he believes can inflict the most intense pain a human being can experience. He keeps the Machine in a secret chamber beneath the castle grounds called the Pit of Despair, and it is here that Westley is taken.Humperdinck, with Buttercup in tow, goes home to prepare for his wedding and for the invasion of Guilder, for which he plans to get popular support in Florin by murdering Buttercup on their wedding night and blaming Guilder. Buttercup shortly realizes that her love for Westley is so strong that she can't bring herself to marry Humperdinck. She asks to be released from her promise on the grounds that she'll kill herself on her wedding night if forced to go through with it. Humperdinck pretends to give in. He suggests that Westley might no longer love Buttercup, but he promises to send his four fastest ships in pursuit of the fugitive, carrying copies of a letter from Buttercup asking Westley to come back for her. He asks that if Westley doesn't come back, she consider marrying him, Humperdinck, as an alternative to suicide. Buttercup, serenely confident that her Westley will save her, agrees.In the days leading up the wedding, Prince Humperdinck makes a great show of beefing up security around the castle. He orders Florin's Thieves' Forest cleared of potential troublemakers and the guard at the castle gate increased. Fezzik is hired into the Brute Squad assigned to purge the Thieves' Forest and learns that Count Rugen -- Inigo's long-sought six-fingered man -- is in the castle. When he finds a very inebriated Inigo in the Thieves' Forest, Fezzik takes him home, sobers him up, and tells him that he's found the six-fingered man. Inigo and Fezzik resolve to go after Count Rugen, but realize they need someone who's good at planning -- someone like the man in black.Meanwhile in the Pit of Despair, Count Rugen has used the Machine (on a low setting) to suck away a year of Westley's life. When Buttercup realizes that Prince Humperdinck never sent those ships to search for Westley, she calls him a coward. He takes out his anger by running down to the pit, cranking the Machine all the way up, and torturing Westley to death. (Buttercup still has no idea that Humperdinck has Westley.) Fezzik and Inigo hear Westley's dying scream and come looking for him. Near the Pit they meet the Albino (Mel Smith), who has brought a wheelbarrow to haul away Westley's body. Fezzik knocks him out by mistake before he can tell them where Westley is, so Inigo has to call on his father's spirit to guide him to the Pit's hidden entrance (which is in a tree trunk). They reach the Pit of Despair to find that Westley is dead and they need a miracle.Cut to the frame story. The grandson is upset: how can Westley be dead? Who gets Prince Humperdinck in the end? Nobody, says the grandfather -- Humperdinck lives. The grandson becomes more upset, and the grandfather suggests that they stop reading the book for now. The grandson settles down and begs his grandfather to continue.Inigo and Fezzik take Westley's body to Miracle Max (Billy Crystal), who is retired (having been fired by Humperdinck) and doesn't want to take the job. He threatens to call the Brute Squad to run them off, but gives in when Fezzik points out that he's on the the Brute Squad. Max diagnoses Westley as being mostly dead and (using bellows to give him the breath to answer) asks Westley what in his life is worth coming back from the dead for; Westley answers "true love." Max pretends to misunderstand, but his wife Valerie (Carol Kane) badgers him to help and mentions that Max lost his confidence when Prince Humperdinck gave him the sack. Inigo says that Westley is Buttercup's true love, and if Max can bring him back to life, it will ruin Humperdinck's wedding. Delighted at the prospect of doing the prince a bad turn, Max accepts their money and whips up a large, chocolate-coated miracle pill. Inigo and Fezzik go off with Westley and the pill, accompanied by Max and Valerie's good wishes. "Have fun storming the castle!"On a rampart overlooking the castle gate, Inigo and Fezzik feed the miracle pill to Westley's corpse. It works immediately -- at least, it brings him mostly back to life; he can talk, but he can't walk or move much. The three review the situation: the castle gate is guarded by 60 men and Buttercup is due to be married in less than half an hour. They need to get in, rescue Buttercup, and kill Count Rugen. Their assets: Inigo's sword, Fezzik's strength, and Westley's brains. Westley objects that with so little time to plan, it can't be done -- though if they had a wheelbarrow, that might help. Inigo and Fezzik recall that the Albino's wheelbarrow is handy, and when Westley says "what I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak," Fezzik produces one that Max gave him because "it fit so nice."In the castle chapel, the wedding is ready to begin. Outside, a dark apparition (Fezzik wearing the holocaust cloak and standing in the wheelbarrow, pushed with difficulty by Inigo, who is also dragging the nearly-immobile Westley) approaches the gate. "I am the Dread Pirate Roberts," the apparition booms. "There will be no survivors!" The guards at the gate waver. When Inigo sets the holocaust cloak on fire, the guards flee, except for Yellin (Malcolm Storry), Humperdinck's chief enforcer. Yellin gives up the gate key when they threaten to have Fezzik rip his arms off.Inigo, Fezzik and Westley encounter Count Rugen and some guards in a castle corridor. Rugen sics the guards on Inigo and Fezzik, but Inigo dispatches them easily. Then he addresses Count Rugen: "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Count Rugen extends his sword, thinks better of it, and runs away.Humperdinck (who heard the commotion at the gate and sent Rugen to investigate) has rushed the silly-voiced clergyman (Peter Cook) straight past the "I do's" to "man and wife," and a bewildered Buttercup (who was sure Westley would save her before she was married) is escorted to the honeymoon suite by the king (Willoughby Gray) and queen (Anne Dyson), her new in-laws. Buttercup thanks the king for his kindness and tells him she'll be killing herself shortly; the king (who's rather deaf and probably gaga) replies "Won't that be nice!"Inigo takes off after Rugen but quickly runs into a locked door and calls for Fezzik. Fezzik drapes the rubbery-legged Westley over a suit of armor and goes off to help. He's puzzled when he comes back a few minutes later and Westley is gone. Meanwhile, though, Inigo has chased the count through the castle. Brought to bay in a banquet hall, Rugen pulls a dagger from his boot and throws it at Inigo, hitting him in the stomach. Inigo seems on the verge of expiring, and the count is able to wound him in both shoulders. Then Inigo pulls himself together and returns to the fight reciting his challenge, his voice and his attack strengthening with every repetition: "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" "Stop saying that," the unnerved count whines just before Inigo closes in. After inflicting wounds on Rugen's cheeks and shoulders that match the wounds Rugen inflicted on him, Inigo allows the count to bargain and beg for his life, then kills him with a thrust to the gut.In the honeymoon suite, Buttercup takes up a dagger. As she prepares to kill herself, a voice behind her says "There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours." She turns to find Westley reclining on the bed and throws herself into his arms. After a moment of blissful reunion, Buttercup confesses that without meaning to, she's married Prince Humperdinck. Westley points out that if she didn't say "I do" (which she didn't because Humperdinck made the clergyman skip most of the ceremony), it wasn't a legal wedding.Humperdinck enters, declaring that he will remedy the technicality. But first, he wants to challenge Westley to a battle to the death. Westley counters, "No! To the pain!" He describes how he will disfigure the handsome prince, leaving him his ears so every shriek and cry uttered by people who see him will echo in his perfect ears. Westley stands and tells Humperdinck to drop his sword. Cowed, Humperdinck does, and then he sits in a chair as Buttercup ties him to it.Inigo stumbles in and offers to kill Prince Humperdinck, but Westley wants him to live alone with his cowardice. They hear Fezzik calling for Inigo from the courtyard. Fezzik has found four white horses, and since there are four of them, he brought them out with him. Buttercup jumps down and Fezzik catches her. Inigo isn't sure what he'll do with the rest of his life. Westley asks if he's considered piracy: "You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts." They jump down and all four ride away on the whites.The grandfather is finishing the story. Before reading the last line, he closes the book, because it's more kissing. (The grandson doesn't like the kissy parts.) But the grandson says that he doesn't mind so much, so the grandfather reads the last line of the book: "Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind."The grandfather tells the boy to go to sleep, and the grandson asks him to return the next day and read the book again. The grandfather replies, "As you wish." | comedy, fantasy, murder, whimsical, cult, feel-good, good versus evil, clever, psychedelic, action, humor, romantic, revenge, entertaining, storytelling | train | imdb | With something for everyone, The Princess Bride combines romance, action, adventure and parody to create the perfect movie.Cary Elwes and Robin Wright are beautiful to watch and the story of their love is a wonderful backdrop to the adventure and intrigue played out in this story.
If you like dry humor and fast wit, The Princess Bride will make your day.I have owned this video since 1988 and still watch it regularly - it has become my 'sick day' movie because it is such a joy..
A great adventure film in somewhat the same style as other great fantasy adventures like The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride takes us on a wonderful trip along with fascinating and enormously amusing c.
Robin Wright also gives one of the best performances of her career in her film debut here as Princess Buttercup, but the real quality of the performances that makes the movie so great is the fact that they were able to pack the film full of comic relief (it was nearly nonstop from start to finish) without taking anything away from the tension or the overall respectability of the film.
Wallace Shawn is absolutely hilarious as Vizzini, the bonehead villain who is completely convinced that he has the whole world figured out, Andre the Giant delivers a lumbering but highly impressive performance as Vizzini's enormous, idiot sidekick, and by far my favorite of all, Mandy Patinkin creates one of the most entertaining and likeable characters created in a film in the entire decade of the 1980s (`My name is Inigo Montoya.
Told as a story read from a book, just like The Neverending Story, The Princess Bride provides a magical mix of romance and fantasy and action and comedy to provide an enormously entertaining film for moviegoers of all ages.
I love this film so much.From its opening scenes of the young boy being read a story by his kindly Grandfather to the romance, action, adventure and fun of the fairy tale.
The Princess bride tells the tale of the beautiful Buttercup (Robin Wright) and her true love Westley (Elwes)who become separated through the course of an unfortunate event involving some pirates.
Yet he's not bargained on some of the wonderful characters that he will meet (and befriend) along the way...This film is so deliciously acted, made and written that it is a treat to watch.I've lost count of how many times I've seen it now.
The actors are all superb in their roles ('perfect casting' does not come close to describing it!) A young Cary Elwes is suitably dashing as our cocky hero (check out the sword fighting!)and Robin Wright is good as the beautiful Buttercup.
Everyone else gives there all, including Christoper Guest, Chris Sarandon (as the main villian), Wallace Shawn, the late Andre The Giant,Mel Smith, and Billy Crystal.Even though it is about 18 years old, the humour and sly jokes are still as sharp today as they were back in 1987.You know you are watching a great movie when you here Elwes' "To the pain..." speech near the end.
I would definitely recommend this film, it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think most will find something fun about this story of silliness, revenge, and true love.The Good
True Love Conquers All. Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, and Robin Wright Penn star in this classic fairy tale entitled The Princess Bride.
Director Rob Reiner brings life to this story and effectively evokes the enchanting spirit of the witty 1973 novel.The movie opens with a sick boy (Fred Savage) who receives a visit from his grandfather (Peter Falk) who intends to read to him from his favorite book.
There lives a beautiful, young woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright Penn) who learns that "as you wish" really means "I love you" when she falls for her farmhand Westley (Cary Elwes).
A few years later, Buttercup, who is now engaged to Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), is kidnapped by a trio of misfits, which includes brains--Vizzini (Wallace Shawn); brawn--Fezzik (André the Giant); and sword--Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin).
Even with Peter Falk as the Narrator being interrupted by his grandson Fred Savage just seem to fit and rather than distract from an epic movie it just enhances the viewers experience.The Princess Bride is a fantasy romantic adventure movie with just the right blend of comedy, action, adventure and romance to suit everyone's taste.I love Andre the Giant as the Brute, Fezzik.
Prepare to die!"And the fight scene between Inigo Montoya and the Man in Black is truly epic while still being tongue in the cheek.This is a movie nobody should ever try to remake, just watch the original and fall in love with it as you do the characters..
It openly deals with "True Love" in a fantasy environment so it's pretty much set-up for sappy-ness.FOR: - People who still have their inner child intact somewhere - Family movie night - Slumber Party with the girls - Reminiscing with others who have seen this movie as a kidNOT FOR: - Kids who are too young (who might get scared by giant rats, some fighting, torture, talk of killing, and kissing scenes) - People who take themselves too seriously or are jaded cynics - Grown-ups who will be seeing this for the first time and have been misled by the high ratingsBOTTOM LINE: Cheesy Mac & Cheese with bacon bits.
There are more imaginative fantasy movies, funnier comedies, more romantic love stories, and more exciting adventures..
Prepare to die."I know, I picked the most quotable line of this epic fairy tale (sorry for being such a cliché), but it was honestly the scene I enjoyed the most in this movie.
There are occasional interruptions that bring us back to the kid's room, but most of the film takes place in this fantasy land where we are introduced to a very beautiful woman named Buttercup (Robin Wright) who falls in love with her farm boy, Westley (Cary Elwes).
The Princess Bride had its strong moments, but somehow I never managed to fall in love with the fantasy and wouldn't consider it one of Reiner's best films.
It deals with an irreverent love story between a gorgeous maiden, Buttercup: Robin Wright Penn, and her young swan lover , Gary Elwes, this one helped by a duo of brave warriors : the assertive Mandy Patinkin and the huge Andre the Giant, both of whom battle the wicked evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with one another.
Meanwhile, a grandfather , Peter Falk, tells his grandson, Fred Savage, the marvelous tale.This adventurously enjoyable romance movie centers around a wonderful adventure crammed with traditional fantasy, including great dueling scenes, damsel in distress, dashing protagonist and evil villains.
A "comic fairy tale in a strange land" as read to a child.The moral of the film, "True love conquers everything." How could anyone dislike such a story??.
Partially I think it's because that, by now, we've seen this kind of comedy a lot (again, at the time, I'm sure it was a lot newer and fresher), and moved on from comedy based around the fact that apparently Spanish accents are funny (here's looking at you Fawlty Towers).It looks really cheap, and yes, I appreciate it's nearly 30 years old, but a lot of films made in the 80s (even in the 70s) had better effects and sets than this.
It doesn't help the overall flow of the film in any way and just seemed like an odd choice.As I said, there were a few good laughs, but not enough for me to want to see this again any time soon.
The cast is excellent, from perhaps the prettiest couple in movie history (Cary Elwes and Robin Wright) to one of the funniest supporting casts ever (including Chris Sarandon, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, Wallace Shawn, Christopher Guest, Peter Falk, Peter Cook, Carol Kane, and a wonderful turn from pro wrestling legend Andre the Giant).
It has some qualities as an action adventure, though it comes off as a cheap imitation of a cross between the Robin Hood story and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (a silly movie that works, at least for most guys, in a way that the Three Stooges do not); shame on Peter Cook.
So I decided to watch it again but this time fresh in my mind and it actually isn't that bad.When a common woman tells her (I really don't know if it's slave or something) named Wesley to do things he consistently says "As You Wish", really meaning to say "I love you".
I know, this movie is pretty much a fairy tale but it just feels wrong.On the positive notes, the humour is a little funny if you like people saying things only to have you say "Wait, what?" at it.
A romance, a comedy, an adventure & a fantasy, The Princess Bride is an amalgamation of all of these and is a fairy tale that has been passed from fathers to sons for generations and here is presented in the form of a novel that is being read by a grandfather to his grandson, thus making sure that the book's narrative style & structure is kept entirely preserved.The Princess Bride tells the story of Buttercup who falls in love with a farm guy but loses him and is at last engaged to the Prince of the region.
And Reiner does a good job at it.The screenplay is adapted from the book of the same name in a manner that preserves its narrative style, camera-work & editing nicely compliment each other, visuals effects never aims for a realistic portrayal of the world depicted in the story plus it benefits very much from its sweet, tender & pleasant performances from its cast, including Andre the Giant.On an overall scale, there isn't much wrong with The Princess Bride & carries out most of its elements the way it's meant to be.
Then the princess bride gets kidnapped by three rogues (Wallace Shawn, Mandy Patinkin, André the Giant).This is possibly the best fairy tale reimagining ever.
Chris Sarandon makes an excellent scheming evil prince, and the comic vignettes from the likes of Billy Crystal, Wallace Shawn and Mel Smith are a sheer delight.Fred Savage, who I am no particular fan of, gives a very creditable performance as the grandson, capturing the truculence of a 9 year old without once becoming annoying, and his relationship with the accomplished Peter Falk as his grandfather is touchingly and accurately observed.But the whole show is entirely stolen by Mandy Potemkin as Inigo, the bandit with a mission.
The film begins with a grandfather reading the story to his sick grandson, and as Goldman said: the grandfather is only retelling the "good parts" of the supposed historical tale.
If you haven't read the book, but love the movie, I seriously recommend you sit down to read as soon as possible.This film is perfect for all people who enjoy a good laugh, and an even better romance.
I finally watched the movie because someone mentioned to me that it was her favorite movie of all time....Umm...You got to be kidding (especially for the reviewer, "Mike," who watches this movie every 3 weeks!??....)....Okay, Robin Wright is beautiful (and respectable as an actress as seen from her performance in "Forrest Gump") and the movie has some funny one-liners here and there (nothing profoundly funny here though), but what's the fascination?The movie is basically a farce with a ridiculously simple plot, poor acting (I think the acting was supposed to add to the humor....okay wow), cheap senseless humor, and unbelievable special effects (uh, remember when the "Zorro" fights the "giant rats" that look exactly like short guys in a cheap rat suit?)....I guess that's supposed to be funny too....It is truly incredible to have people comment that this movie is one of the best movies ever made or that it's a great film...because it simply isn't.
i remember seeing little bits and pieces of this movie throughout the years.but i had never seen the full movie.until now.i wish i had seen it sooner,but it was more than worth the wait.this thing is a masterpiece.it's a fantasy/romance/comedy/adventure.my sides were splitting from the endless sight gags,some subtle,some not.plus,the movie is very touching.there is a veritable who's' who of famous people of the time,some when they were just starting out.it was directed by Rob Reiner,and it also reminded me of Mel Brook's type of humour.this is #186 of the top 250 and deservedly so.if you're feeling down,throw this in.if you're not uplifted and aching from laughter,i'd be very surprised.for me,The Princess Bride is a 10/10.
Only true love is to decide how this one-of-a-kind fairytale concludes.Whether you are looking to watch a movie for an adventure, a mushie love story, or just for laughs, The Princess Bride is for you.
The 1987 release of The Princess Bride shows viewers that this movie making process took time and consideration, along with an amazing cast, and a hard working crew, creating a story that's to be a great audience pleaser.Three evil villains, a cruel Prince, a beautiful bride, a hero, Cliffs of Insanity, a Pit of Despair, and so much more chaos and adventure—no one has ever had to fight this hard for true love..
The level of wit is beyond so many films that are strictly comedies, and yet we also have a delightful romance and fantasy/action/adventure.Now, seriously, why haven't you seen this movie yet?.
Giants, sword fighting, a princess, a witch, magic, pirates, rodents and true love.I first watched this film as a young boy, and can honestly say that after all these years this film has lost none of it's charm.
The humour runs all the way through the film to make this a real belter of a film.We can even forgive the director for book-ending the film with Peter Falk reading the story of the "Princess Bride" to his sick Grandson.If you are looking for a film for the kids, forget Toy Story or Pokemon the movie.
Definetly one of the BEST movies of all time...it has absolutly everything you could want in a movie: fencing, fighting, torture, poison, true love, hate revenge, giants, hunters, bad men, good men, beautifullest ladies, pain, death, bravery, cowardice, strongest men, chases, escapes, lies, truths, passion, miracles, you name it and Princess Bride has it.
It is not surprising that Rob Reiner chose to narrate "The Princess Bride" from the frame story of a grandfather (Peter Falk) reading a book to his sick grandson (Fred Savage).
However, the really great roles belong to Mandy Patinkin as the swordsman Inigo Montoya, Wallace Shawn as the Sicilian genius, Vizzini, and André the Giant as Fezzik, who is, indeed, a giant.Billy Crystal as Miracle Max and Carol Kane as his wife Valerie have just one scene, but it's a highlight of the film Hilarious doesn't begin to describe it.No lover of movies can afford to miss The Princess Bride.
This is a fantasy movie which must rely on other things for its appeal to the viewer.The Princess Bride, adapted by William Goldman from his own novel, is really quite a light and simple story, more of a fairy tale than a work of what is normally called fantasy.
A classic, lovely story, "The Princess Bride."10/10.
Very strong supporting roles from Billy Crystal,Andre the Giant,Mandy Patinkin,Christopher Guest,CArol Kane,Wallace Shawn and Chris Sarandon also flesh this story out effectively.It makes me sad that Rob Reiner doesn't seem to think he needs to direct anything even remotely like this film anymore.Mark KNopfler's score is absolutely beautiful,too.I could try to say more to tell you why I think this is such a great film,but you'll just have to see this yourself to get the idea..
The Princess Bride is a wonderful tale of True Love and True Adventure, as told by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to a sick grandson (Fred Savage).
It does not take long for the viewer to become invested in the characters, and our frustration when things don't seem to work out the way we expect them to is ably voiced by the sick grandson, who exclaims "Grandpa, you're messing up the story".The beautiful Buttercup has lost her true love Westley and seems fated to marry the evil Prince.
The grandfather reads him a bedtime story, and the result is an enchanting, adventurous fairy tale about a young princess named Buttercup (Wright) who's kidnapped by an evil prince and separated from her one true love Westley (Elwes).
That, the timeless performances from Andre the Giant, a classic romance, and one hell of a revenge story with Inigo, and you have the adventure that is, The Princess Bride.8.0/10.
Yet, I still watch it again.I love the actors' performances; they are all amazing in their roles.This is one of the few movies I've seen where they closely follow the book (also wonderful, BTW)..
Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..."This is the initial Peter Falk description of the essence of the story we're about to watch, which contains all the right ingredients for a passionate fantasy tale capable of transport the viewers in a incredible adventure and hilarious experience..
While being covered in comic aspects, the said scene with the sword fight between Inigo and Man in Black is actually also a masterpiece of choreography and incredible moves, resulting in possibly the greatest single duel swordfight one can ever see in film.The acting was mostly good, especially by leads Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin & Robin Wright.
Some things are really predictable such as who the Man in Black really is but other things such as Count Rugen's response to the first time Patinkin says the you killed by father line are quite original and somewhat hilarious.It is quite the cliché to say if this movie was serious we might take Elwes & Wright's romance and struggles emotionally serious, but there is still truth to it as it is not the kind of film that leaves you with feelings or thought long after it is finished.
This Is A Very Beautiful Film with many comedy & sense of humor.this is the best fairy tale movie there is which hasAction,adventure,comedy,romance. |
tt0479968 | One Missed Call | The film begins with a fire at a hospital, with a young girl named Laurel being rescued. When asked where her mother is, Laurel just looks at the burning hospital. A few days later, a girl named Shelley (Meagan Good) is talking to her friend Leann (Azura Skye) on the phone, when she is scared by her pet cat. She looks over and it is gone. She walks over to the pond to see if it has fallen in, when it appears on the other side. She goes over to pet it, when a hand grabs her and pulls her into the pond, before pulling the cat in as well. After this, a hard candy floats to the top, and her phone begins to scroll through various numbers.After the credits roll, we are introduced to Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon), who is having a party with her friends Brian (Johnny Lewis), and Taylor (Ana Claudia Talancon). She goes to the door, and looks through the peephole, where she has a flashback to when she was a girl. She answers the door, and Leann is there.Beth and Leann go upstairs and Leann mentions that she was at Shelley's funeral, and that Shelley's parents were convinced she committed suicide. Beth tells Leann that Shelley went strange before she died. Suddenly, Leann's phone rings with an eerie ringtone. Leann tells Beth that it is not her ringtone, and delays in answering, because she sees it is from Shelley's phone, so the call goes to voicemail. She listens to it, and it horrified. Beth asks to listen to it, and it plays a recording of Leann talking about seeing things before screaming. Leann tells Beth that it is from 2 days in the future.Meanwhile, Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) gets a call from the mortuary, asking them to come and identify a body. They tell him it has been in the water for a couple of days. He pulls the cover off and confirms it is his sister. He is left alone with the body, and finds that there is something in her mouth. He pulls it out and reveals it to be a hard candy.Fast forward two days, and Leann is at college with Beth. She hallucinates seeing a centipede crawling along Beth's arm, and sees strange faces. When the class finishes, Beth asks her if she wants to go somewhere, but Leann blows her off, telling her she needs to go to the library.Later, Leann leaves the library, and continues to hallucinate strange faces. She phones Beth and tells her that she is sorry for blowing her off, and that she keeps seeing the faces. She tells Beth that the call happens in a few minutes, and Beth arranges to meet her at a nearby footbridge. Leann then repeats the voicemail, just as the bridge gives way and she plummets in front of a train. Beth arrives just in time to see this, and hears a hissing sound. When she turns around, no one is there. She looks over, and a hard candy rolls out of Leann's mouth, with Leann's phone skipping through her phonebook.2 days later, Taylor is talking to her friend about Leann's and Shelley's deaths, and about how they got the phone calls. Brian arrives and shouts at them for talking about it, and hallucinates a centipede crawling up the wall. He goes to a cafe, where Beth approaches him, and he shows her his message, which was dated for a few minutes later. He gets up and walks away, narrowly avoiding being run over, and Beth calls out to him to get his phone. He repeats the voicemail, just as an explosion occurs, sending a pole straight through him. Beth again hears a hissing sound, and no one is there, just as a hard candy falls out of Brian's mouth.She goes to the police, but they do nothing to help her, until Jack hears her story and tells her that his sister died in the same way. He promises her that he will do some digging because he can trace the calls back. Beth goes home, and she and Taylor take the batteries from their phones. Later that night, Beth awakens after hearing the ringtone, and goes downstairs. Taylor asks her whose phone is ringing, and she picks it up to find out it is Taylor's, even though the battery is missing. Taylor answers and hears herself screaming, dated for 2 days afterwards. The next day, they smash Taylor's phone, but they are approached by a man called Ted Summers (Ray Wise) who wants to perform an exorcism on Taylor. He gives her a new phone, and she gets the call again.The next morning, Taylor leaves Beth a note telling her she has gone to her parents' house. Beth leaves them a message asking to speak to her. Jack arrives and tells Beth he has traced the call to a woman called Marie Layton. They arrive at her apartment and a neighbour tells them that she hasn't been seen for a week. They break in and find that there should be a nanny cam in the room, but it is missing. This leaves them determined to find Marie because they believe that she has been abusing her daughter, Laurel and is responsible for the murders. They later find out that her other daughter Ellie died of an asthma attack.Beth sees Taylor on Ted's TV programme, and they head to the studio in a church in order to find her. A priest begins to exorcise Taylor, and as Beth and Jack arrive, it all goes wrong. The lights go out, and Taylor begins to scream. When they come back on, she is dead, and a hard candy rolls out of her mouth. Beth then gets a call from Taylor of her own message, dated the next day.The next day, Jack arrives at her house, and she delays in answering the door, with another flashback. He asks her about some burns on her arms, and she tells him that she was abused by her mother, and her father committed suicide. He tells her they have managed to track Laurel down, and they go to see her. At her foster home, Laurel refuses to answer any questions, but instead lets her teddy play a noise, which is the same as the ringtone. Beth shouts at Laurel, and they are thrown out of the house.They split up to investigate further, and Beth sees a doctor that treated Laurel during the fire. He tells her that Marie never left the hospital. Beth goes to St. Luke's, where the fire took place, and breaks in, where she is attacked and dragged down a corridor, but is rescued by Jack. She tells him that she believes Marie is still in the hospital, and they decide to look for her. A force splits them up, and Beth crawls into an air vent, as Jack decides to break down the door.In the vent, she finds Marie's body, but it comes to life and crawls on top of her. She asks it why (echoing the message), just as Jack arrives to find her unharmed. Outside, Beth tells him that she believes Marie brought her there to keep her safe. Jack goes to tell Laurel her mother is dead, and finds the nanny cam hidden in the back of her bear.He watches it, and finds out that Ellie was abusing Laurel, not Marie, but Marie caught her, and she had an asthma attack, and called her mother, which started the curse. The hissing sound came from her inhaler, the people were her dolls, and the centipede was her pet. Jack asks Laurel if Ellie abused her, and she replies "But she always gave me candy after."He arrives back at Beth's house, and tells her about Ellie. Just then, there is a knock at the door. Beth tells Jack not to answer it, but he looks through the peephole and is stabbed in the eye. Ellie enters the house and attempts to attack Beth, but she is pulled into the phone by her mother's ghost. Beth stares in shock as Jack's phone begins to cycle through its contact list and the film ends. | stupid, murder, flashback | train | imdb | Here's my sad story about One Missed Call:It was a rainy Sunday afternoon (I live in Seattle) so I went to the local video store looking for a mindless movie to watch while laying about.
I know that many people have given this a low rating but I believe that is mostly because many people had preconceptions before watching the movie because of the original Japanese version/origin and the fact that it was a remake.
There were several parts in the movie where it does get you guessing and thinking that you know who is behind it but you may guess wrong - I know that I did, o.k it wasn't overly scary but a few moments where it does make you think now that would be freaky, you can see a few holes in the plot but then again you can with most movies.All in all worth a watch with an open mind if you don't really expect anything from it and give the movie a chance!My rating 7/10.
And I hated how they tried so hard to make the whole feel of the film creepy and scary(Hence the 'Scary music').It takes brains to make a good horror movie, and this one has no brains at all.
It looks like were not going to be able to fight off any stupid remakes or boring horror movies anytime soon...
And the story doesn't even make sense, especially with an ending that kills any possibility of reality.Horror has really seen a downfall in recent years, but this film is the worst.
One Missed Call {Japanese original Chakushin Ari} is creepy enough, from little eerie dolls and grotesque figures to a seriously unnerving ring tone, it works as the most basic of chillers when watched alone in the dark.
I haven't seen the Japanese version but I heard that it's a lot better if you actually want a horror film.
If One Missed Call had been released before, lets say "The Ring" - the movie would have had a higher rating - and better reviews.
I'm not a big horror fan, but I figured I'd try this out since the previews made it actually look like a movie.
It was 10 times better than any of those movies like grudge or the ring.
This was a good remake and should be checked out if you like creepy edge of your seat horror movies.
To me, One Missed Call was far better than Pulse, I didn't like The Ring and The Grudge just got boring.The atmosphere of this movie was great, though the CGI and special effects of this film could use some touch up work.
Though with the lack of bloody or memorable deaths or really good dialogue in between them, there are incredible tension and suspense leading up to them that makes this film get the attention it deserves.So in the end, the movie was great and I got what I wanted and expected from it.
Luckily I used to work at a movie theater so I was able to see this for free and didn't waste ten bucks on it, I did however, waste two hours of my time I could have spent watching something good.
When other characters start investigating it, they find some kind of ghostly and other-worldly explanation.I thought the movie was fairly suspenseful and good considering the subject material and storyline/plot.
One Missed Call happens to be One Big Bore!I am beginning to affirm that horror remakes by Hollywood are a waste of time.
It's boring when it doesn't get done right, and comes off as lackadaisical.But what's truly scary, would be you downloading from somewhere, the ring tone that is featured in the movie, and into your friends mobile phone.
With a story...A contemporary movie, by the use of the cellphone : that change from movies where letters are written ;)I only regret the end, not enough explanation, but that make us think and every one may have his version ...Maybe your bad comments are because you saw the original version, the original is often better : it's like when it's book are on movies : So : If you haven't seen the original, this movie is good....
It did remind of a few movies that compare to it, such as The Ring and Fear Dot Com. The actors Shannyn Sossamon, Edward Burns, Ana Claudia Talancon and Meagan Good made this film worth watching, so definitely check it out!.
This is certainly up there with the best horror films around, Don't miss this what-ever you do.ONE MISSED CALL is going to make you throw away your mobile phone(seriously) grab a copy now and you will then know what i'm talking about.
If you like Japanese and other Asian horror movies, just skip the American remakes, and go back to the original.
'One Missed Call' is just another in a line of movies like 'Final Destination' or 'Jeepers Creepers 2' where the villain is an explicable, unstoppable monster who must be battled so they stop killing the pretty young people.As one final gripe about the movie, in the original, the twist is actually that.
(See my user profile for a supporting list.) Then again, if you choose to be an ignorant xenophobe and refuse to watch films with subtitles, how the hell are you ever going to know that movies like "REC" (2007), "Kontroll" (2003), "Diary" (2006), and "Noroi: The Curse" (2005) exist?
I fear when thinking that the future of planet Earth is in the hands of closed-minded people like yourselves.Ask yourself this: Why live by the motto "I read books, not movies" when it's so much more rewarding to live by the motto "I watch good movies, not bad ones"?.
The Japanese movie was excellent, when i heard there was a remake i knew it was either going to be absolutely awful, or pretty awesome, unfortunately it was terrible.
Every death scene cuts away instead of actually having to show any gore or any action at all, how it even got a pg-13 rating is beyond me, my 50 year old mother could definitely watch this movie without being scared.
i love horror films and i watched one missed call earlier and i found the other review completely wrong.this is one of the scariest horror films I've seen, even my dad was petrified.it was a good plot and acted well.a must see indeed.this film is the best remake of a classic Japanese horror that I've seen.the film was easy to follow and it unravelled as it went along.in the first 5 minuets you know its going to be good..
I don't know what the director of this remake was thinking but it is obvious that Eric Valette lacks the experience to deliver a decent horror movie.
Okay first off the story of the movie is good and before watching it I heard it was a remake of the film Japenese horror Chakushin ari.
But I couldn't be bothered to see a Japanese movie and sit through reading subtitles my mate got me tickets to watch this and the film was okay, not too bad, basically mediocre.
The only good ones are the independent films like "SAW" or the upcoming "Poughkeepsie Tapes", which by the way you know its sad when a trailer is actually scarier than the film you are presenting it before.So the movie actually begins pretty decent and just slowly declines from there.
The only time i was actually a bit creeped out was when i checked my phone and it said that i have One Missed Call(which later on i found out it was only my brother, no monsters with mouths instead of eyes.) The acting is awful, The plot is really bad and it does not make much sense.
There seems to be a trend of American remakes of recent Japanese flicks.like the grudge,the ring,etc;but this one is really creepy,i know most people disagree but compared to crap like prom night its a mini masterpiece,well sort of.this one features cell phones as instruments of evil,like the ring and its dreaded video tape.i cannot get the creepy ring tone out of my head.watch this with the lights out for its full effect.there's good actors on board for this outing.Shannyn Sossamon,Edward Burns(15 minutes)Meagan Good,and Ray Wise(twin peaks,televisions the reaper)maybe its just me but i found one missed call very entertaining.the beautiful and sexy Shannyn Sossamon is very good in this role.i admit i never saw the Japanese original version.
The idea is simple - you get a phone call with a ring tone more annoying than the stock one you hear in the theaters, it comes from the future and you hear yourself die.There seem to be two camps of reviewers - purists who can't stand any deviation from the originals, and those who have never seen the originals and are not used to the complexities that J-Horror usually throws in.Many of the reviews have commented about jump scenes, etc.
It features an almost generic new age horror Japanese remake plot, but so does a lot of other films (such as The Grudge, The ring and etc.), but delivers it nicely.
A solid cast, good directing and a nicely evolving plot leads to a pretty standard horror/suspense movie, but one that doesn't fall in comparison to its rivals.To conclude, if you like the horror genre, then you should see this movie if only to mark it as seen.
The movie is about you get a call and then you die, It has a very interesting plot and a really good story but the scares should have been taken care of.I missed the first five minutes so maybe the first scene could have been scary or made me jump.
Got to hand it to the writers, I don't think that's been done before.So by the end of the movie it's the main character that's the last one to die, and the only person that believes her is an investigator that is determined not to let the deaths continue, and the only way you'll find out what happens is by watching it ;) There isn't really much gore, in fact for some of the things that happen there's basically nothing.
Don't watch this expecting an amazing horror because it really isn't, the suspense isn't much good and the story line isn't great.
kinda reminds you of The Ring in a way,, i like the idea though of this movie,, heck i didn't even know that this was a Japanese remake, at first you think oh it could be a slasher flick,, but no this one goes in a ghostly direction,, then you think it's the mother doing all of the killing,, well i won't give away the ending,, but it's kinda a surprise.
this is better than some of the horror movies out there, but there are better ones than this,, i didn't find it too bad,, just a little weird i guess, you know ghosts that travel through you're cell phone,, a little hard to swallow if you ask me...
I really do not understand the harsh reviews toward this film, sure its a Japanese horror flick but what can you honestly hope to gain from watching this.
I like to watch movies with an open mind, I suggest some people should really give this film another look.
Soon, the corpses are piling up almost as fast as the discarded calling devices, while Beth (Shannyn Sossamon), one of the targeted victims, and Jack (Edward Burns), the homicide detective who takes on the case, race around madly trying to bring an end to the horror.This mediocre, assembly-line product comes equipped with the requisite number of nubile young victims, phony leads, false scares and hyperventilating special effects.
Look, by no means am I an expert of movies but I do see a lot of them and I love horror films.
Then SCREAM came out and made horror fun again.....Then movies started coming out like THE GRUDGE and THE RING....and they were crap.
They get some pretty people, one from each race, and of course make the girl the lead, write a quick lame story with no real ending or plot, write a horrible script and sometimes get a bunch of big bands together and make a soundtrack and here's the big one, they get the best song and make a trailer showing the best parts, best effects, and they give u a trailer that is nothing more than a music video and the trailer is so hyped that the movie looks great, everyone runs to the movie opening weekend, it kills in the box office and by the 3rd week they made their money back and they don't care anymore...its a brilliant way to make money.
In this remake of the Japanese horror film "Chakushin Ari" (2003), several people start receiving voice-mails from their future selves -- messages which include the date, time, and some of the details of their deaths.I saw the trailer for this movie, and I actually found it creepy.
The good things were in the trailer which gave me no surprises during the movie, with one exceptional twist.I usually like PG-13 J-horror remakes.
And while not the worst of them, it's not that good.Like most American horror movies, they seem to think making you jump in your seat is the same as scaring you.
Because it was near I had missed this very good and really scary horror movie, because of all the bad marks and reviews!
It isn't the best horror movie of all time, but is not that bad as other says.
But really, I think it was the best thing in the entire movie, besides, of course the appearance of both, Shannyn Sossamon, natural beauty (at least is what it seems)as we rarely see at the industry and Edward Burns, good actor that has something to add, the kind that doesn't care with nothing, never succumbs, go down; in the other hand, increases with the confidence.
to me,this movie is not great.the premise is of course,absurd,but i knew that going in,so that's not really the problem.the problem is,the movie itself doesn't generate much in the way of suspense or thrills.there's a subplot thrown in that doesn't really have a point.Shannon Sossamon is OK in her role,but not great.however,i didn't buy Ed Burns in his role as a cop,in the slightest.Margaret Cho has what amounts to a cameo as a cop.thankfully it was just a cameo,because i think she was miscast.i also thought the ending was a bit too anti climatic.actually the whole movie was anti climatic.if you just want to kill some time an a lazy afternoon,when you have nothing else to do,it's' alright.otherwise,though,it's nothing special.not terrible,but not really good either.for me,One Missed Call is a 4.5/10.
i wasn't very exited about going to see this at the cinema but when i got there and the film started i was glad i was therethis film is good and much better than people make it out to be the wacky death and loads of jump parts make this film a good horror movie not the best in the world but loads better than people saythe acting is good and the plot is a little bit weird but it is still interesting and definitely not boring and rubbish like people say it isdefinitely worth a watch and now you can by the DVD for a little bit more than a rental so i would definitely buy it so go and watch it.
If you have sleeping problem then watch this movie and you will fall to sleep.With Bad acting, No story and lame horror scenes they actually wanted to scare us.I spent my hard earned money on this and I want it back.Whom can I contact to get the refund?
I believe this would be a good movie if it were a parody of other bad horror flicks such as Stay Alive and Final Destination.
A lot of the reviews are from 2008 or so, which I guess are from people who were tired of films like "The Ring" and "The Grudge" churning out at the time.
However, the plot doesn't seem to make sense; it does, but it seems as though the film-makers don't really give a damn about creating any suspense at all, so they add scene after scene of pointlessness and boredom, with the scenes containing Edward Burns being especially insufferable and embarrassing to watch due to his limited acting ability, at least in this film.Now, the reason I thought this was not so bad is that I liked how all the seemingly random elements that have been spread out along the movie are each given meaning at the end, when we learn what's behind the deaths of these friends.
To conclude, watching this movie was a completely waste of time and money, if you wanna get scared with a good horror movie go and see the Japanese version of this movie..
As a fan of horror movies and I usually get scared from then and thats the whole point I was glad that my brother was renting it as I seen in the trailers it looked awesome but then when the netflix mail came and I saw it it just took me nowhere.The acting is just horrible from all the actors and the movie goes of course and doesn't follow a thing.If you want to see a bad movie and waste your money on buying it or even renting it please reconsider.I would admit that there was at least two parts in the movie that would make you jump up in the theater but if your viewing it from a 42' inch screen nothing scares you.As for the ghost not even worth the time to even mention or spoil.Thanks and have a good day!.
I did not think that this was a good remake of the Asian horror film. |
tt0988045 | Sherlock Holmes | The movie begins by showing the Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow logos embedded into a cobblestone pavement. We transition to Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) and Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) riding in a carriage in the middle of the night. Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) follows on foot. He's in a tremendous hurry - he darts between columns, up and down stairs and around buildings effortlessly - and finally enters a non-descript building.Once inside, Holmes starts running down a spiral staircase, but pauses when he notices a henchman waving a lantern and keeping watch. He analyzes the situation, then takes out the henchman. We see the attack get carried out twice - first as Holmes plans it, and again as he executes it: a hammer blow to the side of the head, then grabbing the henchman by his neck to silence his scream, then dragging his left leg. Then in real-time, we see Holmes do all of the following at rapid speed before stealing the sentry's bowler hat. Holmes continues running down the stairs, until he reaches the basement, where a black magic ritual is taking place. Holmes hides behind a column to assess the situation again.In the center of the room, he observes a young woman wearing a white dress, tied to a table, while a hooded figure stands over her chanting some sort of Latin. Scattered across the room are several other hooded figures and henchmen. Holmes begins calculating how to take them out, but is interrupted when a guard comes up from behind him. He fights with the guard, then Watson shows up and chokes the man into unconsciousness. They greet each other with amusing banter (their friendship is very much written as a bromance, and come up at several points in the film), where Watson chides Holmes for forgetting to bring his pistol AND forgetting to turn off the stove.Watson and Holmes race downstairs and attack the henchmen, overpowering most of them while the hooded figure continues the ritual. Back at the table, the (possibly possessed) girl reaches up for a dagger and makes to stab herself. Holmes finishes defeating the henchmen, hurries over and stops her just in time. The hooded figure stops to greet Holmes by name, and is unmasked as Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong). As he taunts Holmes, Watson comes running over, but is stopped by Holmes. Turns out, Lord Blackwood is holding some kind of thin stiletto glass knife that would have pierced Watson through the nose if he had gotten any closer. Holmes directs Watson to put his energies into tending the girl, and Lestrade and his men burst in just in the nick of time.As Blackwood and the henchmen are arrested, Lestrade chides Holmes for not waiting for Lestrade's orders. Holmes says that the girl's parents hired him, so he doesn't report to Lestrade. Before Lestrade can retort, a newspaper photographer who wants to take their picture interrupts him. Holmes throws up an arm and prevents the camera from capturing his face. Thus, all the credit is given to Lestrade instead.The credits flash by and consist of newspaper headlines detailing Holmes and Watson's exploits.Three months later, at 221B Baker Street, Watson is treating an elderly patient. As he dresses, the patient asks about Watson's plans to move his medical practice to a new headquarters. Watson confirms that he is moving, and that he hopes to have a woman's touch around the place soon. The patient congratulates him on his (potential - as Watson hasn't proposed yet) nuptials, before nervously asking if Holmes is moving too. Watson says no, but is promptly interrupted by several gunshots that send both men ducking for cover. The patient leaps up and says that the blasts must be gunfire, but Watson soothes him and lies that Holmes is probably hanging a picture with nails and hammer. Watson ducks out to check on the commotion, and is met by Mrs. Hudson (Geraldine James). She tells Watson that Holmes is in a mood, and she hopes that he can calm Sherlock down. At this point, the elderly patient comes out and is about to talk, when there's the sound of gunfire again. Watson tells Mrs. Hudson to get the patient a cup of tea, and he'll go see to Holmes himself. He also asks Mrs. Hudson to bring some food to cheer up Holmes.When Watson walks into Holmes's study, the entire room is dark. Watson comments into the darkness that he knows Holmes is bored, as it's been awhile since the Blackwood case. Holmes remarks that he's trying to figure out a way to silence the sound of gunfire, and Watson sarcastically retorts that it's clearly not working. As Watson talks, he goes around opening up the blinds in the room, which causes Holmes to groan painfully.Watson starts rifling through Holmes's mail and offers him prospective cases to consider. Holmes flippantly solves all of them without a second thought. Watson also points out that Holmes is in the papers again, as Lord Blackwood is about to be hanged, and Watson will be the attending physician, as he considers it a good away to conclude his final adventure with Holmes.Mrs. Hudson comes in with tea and snacks, points out that the family bulldog Gladstone is lying immobile on the floor, saying that Holmes has killed the dog, again. Watson hurries over to check on the animal, and asks Sherlock what he's done to the dog now. Holmes nonchalantly says he was just testing out a new anesthetic.Nothing seems to be cheering Holmes up, so Watson throws down the mail and tells Holmes that he needs to get out of the house. He tells Holmes that he's going to join Watson and his future fiance for dinner at a London hotel. Holmes begrudgingly agrees.At an upscale restaurant, Holmes checks his watch several times before Watson and Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly) show up. They chitchat, and Holmes's deductive powers come up. Mary shows some suspicion at Holmes's deduction skills. He points out several basic details about Watson simply from his walking stick, indicating that he is a decorated army veteran of the Afghan Wars. Mary asks Holmes to analyze her, over Watson's objections. He points out that she's a governess and has been engaged once before, but likely broke off the engagement because the fiancé wasn't wealthy enough for her. By this point Mary is starting to be come increasingly uncomfortable with Holmes's comments, but Holmes doesn't notice her discomfort or Watson's warnings. He just continues rambling on. He also adds that she's probably trying to do better this time around - e.g. finding a doctor to wed. Mary is extremely offended by his comment, and tosses a glass of wine in his face. She then tells him that everything he said was true, but her first fiance died. She then gets up to leave, thoroughly upset by Holmes's rudeness, and is followed by Watson. Holmes remains at the table and has his dinner, alone, though it looks like he expected this meeting to go bad.Later that night, Holmes participates in a bare-knuckles boxing match. He's getting pummeled by the larger fighter, McMurdo, and seems to be losing. He's suddenly distracted by the appearance of a white handkerchief at the side of the ring with the monogrammed initials "IA." He scans the room and notices his old flame Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), who then winks at him. Holmes makes to leave the ring - to the great disappointment of those cheering him on - but stops when his opponent spits on him.Using the deductive logic we saw earlier, Holmes figures out how to use the handkerchief and some well-calculated moves to take out his opponent. We see the fight sequence twice - once as Holmes is planning through it, and then in real-time as he executes it: it starts when he flicks the handkerchief in front of McMurdo to distract him, then blocks McMurdo's blind jab and counters with a cross to the left cheek, and Holmes claps his hands over the opponent's ears. The dazed McMurdo tries to deploy a haymaker, but Holmes counters with an elbow block and one blow to the chest. Holmes then delivers a cross to the right side of the jaw that fractures the bone, delivers two more body blows and a right hook to the jaw, and finally a heel kick that sends McMurdo crashing out of the ring. He carries them out with blinding speed to the shock and surprise of everyone in the room. When the opponent hits the ground, the entire room falls silent in shock, and someone actually says, "Where did THAT come from?" Holmes looks around, and realizes that Irene's gone. He takes the money from a bookie and leaves.Over at Scotland Yard, the prison guards are trying to deal with a potential riot. In front of Blackwood's cell, a guard is suffering a seizure, and no one wants to be around him for fear of his black magic. One of the braver guards asks him what he wants, and he says that he wants to talk to Holmes. It's his final request.Meanwhile, we next see Watson walking up the stairs at the Punch Bowl tavern. He goes into a room, where he finds Holmes under the influence of cocaine, strumming away at a violin. Holmes greets Watson, and gestures to a bottle of flies that he has trapped. He tells Watson that when he plays a certain pitch, the flies will fly in a counterclockwise direction. Watson sighs and asks him how long it took Holmes to catch the flies, and Holmes admits about six hours or so. Watson raises his eyebrows and goes "Really? What if I do this...?" and opens up the lid, letting all of the flies escape. Watson then tells Holmes to get up and get decent, as Lord Blackwood has requested to see him.Watson brings Holmes to the prison. On the carriage ride over, Holmes attempts to engage Watson in conversation, but Watson rebuffs him. Finally, Watson punches Holmes in the nose and tells Sherlock that he had already known about Mary's previous fiance. They bicker for a while, and finally arrive at the prison.Most of the guards are afraid of getting too close to Lord Blackwood, so Holmes tells them that he can find his way on his own. Blackwood greets him, and tells Holmes that he is not done killing just yet. He warns Holmes that there will be three deaths that will be unpreventable. He also tells Holmes that trying to stop him will be an extremely futile gesture. Holmes ignores him, and makes several remarks about Blackwood's upcoming hanging and makes offhand comments about how even though Blackwood was cunning, his devious plans were going to come into an end. Finally Holmes leaves without paying much thought to Blackwood's warnings.Blackwood is found guilty of murder, and then is hanged, and pronounced dead by Watson.A few days later, Holmes is dozing in his study. Irene Adler, cracking walnuts, wakes Holmes up. She's brought him food from her travels. It is obvious the two have met before. Holmes looks rather unnerved and begins hastily straightening up the place; including slamming a portrait of Irene that he has on his desk facedown. The two of them banter for a bit, and it's implied that the two have some kind of romantic chemistry there. Holmes wryly comments on her con artist talents, and Irene just shrugs it off. She tells him that she needs him for a case, and hands him an envelope with information and money. She then gets up to leave, but not before putting Holmes's portrait of her into an upright position again. Holmes strums at his violin as she leaves.Irene runs into Watson at the door, and greets him. Watson seems rather stunned, but doesn't say anything. We follow Irene down the street, until she gets into a carriage, where she meets with her shadowy employer. She tells him that she's sure Holmes will agree to take the case. Their conversation is interrupted by a street bum who suddenly runs into the side of the carriage. The carriage driver yells at the bum, who is scared away when the shadowy employer brandishes a wrist-mounted pistol.At Baker Street, Watson chastises Holmes for falling for Irene. Holmes denies this, but Watson continues to tease him about this. Watson has read the file: a missing red-headed dwarf named Luke Reordan, who can be identified by his absent front teeth. He makes some jokes about Irene's taste in men, and asks Holmes what he was doing. Holmes starts to explain.We cut back to Irene as she left Holmes's study, while Holmes pretends to strum at his violin. Once she closes the door, Holmes rushes over to the window just in time to see her walking down the street. He hurriedly comes up with a plan to follow her. Watson has just passed Irene at the door and has reached the midway landing when Holmes comes running downstairs in a hurry. Watson tries to ask Holmes what he is doing, but Holmes is obviously in a hurry, and he doesn't explain anything to Watson, and steals his coat. Holmes jumps out the window and crashes on top of the coal shed. Watson sighs and closes the window, ignoring Holmes.Holmes, covered in soot, manages to catch up to Irene in another alleyway. As he hides, two muggers accost Irene. However, she turns the tables on them, and at knifepoint steals the first man's wallet and a bouquet of flowers. He follows her through a circus, picking up small little items on the way to pick up a disguise, careful to avoid being seen. Leaving the circus, he deliberately runs into the side of the carriage, and is scared off by Irene's employer with the wrist pistol.Back in the present, Holmes finishes his story. As they're talking, a constable from Scotland Yard(William Houston) comes in and tells them that Lord Blackwood has apparently risen from the grave. Holmes wants Watson to come with him, but Watson says he needs to visit with Mary. Holmes obviously wants Watson to come with him, so he berates Watson for not caring about his reputation, saying that no girl wants to marry a man who can't tell if a man is dead or not. Watson finally agrees to go. They're taken to the cemetery to meet with Lestrade, where the limestone outside of Blackwood's mausoleum has shattered. Holmes examines the scene and licks a piece of the stone and waits as Lestrade and his men bring the coffin out. Once they open the coffin, they find a completely different body. His missing front teeth identify him as Luke Reordan, the missing ginger midget Irene had asked Holmes about.Watson determines that Reordan has been dead for approximately twelve hours. Holmes takes Reordan's watch without anyone noticing, and then tells Lestrade he'll follow up. Holmes and Watson leave the cemetery.Later, Holmes discusses the initials scratched on the watch. Holmes tests Watson's deducing skills by having him explain a pair of scratch marks - which Watson correctly deduces as indicating that the owner was a drunk. Watson deduces that the initials on the watch, MG, are pawnbrokers' marks, and quite by coincidence, they see the shop that sold the watch, and they get an address.Outside the pawnbroker's place, Watson is approached by a gypsy woman who claims she knows about him and Mary. He tells the woman to tell him his fortune, and she tells him that marriage is a bad idea, as it'll consist of Mary growing fat and getting a beard, print wallpaper and lace doilies. Holmes solemnly echoes everything she says, and Watson realizes that Holmes has already paid off the gypsy to tell him a false fortune. He asks if Holmes has no shame, and then - just to spite Holmes - buys an engagement ring for Mary on the spot.After Watson purchases the ring and Holmes has obtained Reordan's address, Holmes makes to go in and examine the building. Watson tells him he can't follow, as he has a dinner planned with Mary's parents. Holmes looks disappointed but understanding, and goes in alone. Watson stands in the street for a minute before sighing to himself, and follows.Holmes is in the middle of picking the lock on Reordan's door when Watson just kicks the door in. As the two search the premises, they determine that Reordan sensed something was coming to get him. Holmes determines that Irene Adler has been by recently, as he smells her perfume. The room is in shambles, filled with medical equipment and experimented-on animals of various kinds, including dissected frogs and rats. Reordan also appears to have been working on some sort of attempt to combine sorcery and scientific formula together. Watson finds a partially burned piece of paper with Lord Blackwood's watermark - effectively linking Reordan to Blackwood - and Holmes snips the tail off of a experimented-on (and dead) rat. Holmes also observes a plate with some kind of melted substance and honeycombs, as well as some sort of gunpowder that burns with a pinkish hue when lit with a match.Holmes is right in the middle of saying that everything fits in with what he's been thinking, but there was one smell he couldn't identify - toffee. It is at this point that two of Blackwood's henchmen come in, one of them eating a caramel apple (the scent that Holmes was smelling), and Watson calls Holmes's attention to them. Holmes notes that they're carrying canisters of lighter fluid in their hands, and asks the men if they're here to burn down the building. They smile sinisterly and say yes, and then call out for their colleague - an extremely large man named Dredger(Robert Maillet). Dredger, who only speaks subtitled French, asks if there is a problem. Holmes takes on Dredger while Watson takes on the two smaller thugs.As they fight, Holmes pauses to catch his breath, and ask for a moment, and Dredger shrugs and politely says it's not a problem.The fight comes to a head when Holmes discovers an electricity-powered rod - an early version of a taser - amongst Reordan's inventions. Holmes wields it at Dredger, and a slight touch throws Dredger backwards through a wall with the force of a shotgun blast. Dredger regains his footing, but another zap causes him to fly backwards and crush one of the thugs holding Watson hostage. Even though Holmes admits that he doesn't know how it works, he chases Dredger into the street.Holmes chases Dredger down to a London shipyard. There's a half-finished boat in the yard, and the men all look up in interest as Holmes threatens to zap Dredger. He asks the man who he works for, and Dredger responds, "You know who", before reaching over and crushing the rod. Now defenseless, Holmes can only run.The two men duke it out in the shipyard as Watson follows them in.Through some miscalculations on Watson's part, the moorings for the boat are released and the half-finished boat is prematurely launched into the Thames, where it sinks. Dredger flees the scene, and Watson - having dived to save Holmes from the moving boat - and Holmes are left looking at the sunken ship.Watson and Holmes are arrested and subsequently held in an outdoor pen. It looks like a drying out tank for minor criminals. Watson complains to Holmes that all he wanted to do was eat dinner with Mary's parents, and it becomes a full-on rant about Holmes's various bad habits. Holmes tries to deflect Watson, and their argument really seems like that of an old-married couple.Just as Watson's about to really get going, a police guard calls Watson's name and tells him Mary has posted his bail. Watson gets up and Holmes follows, but Holmes is told that bail has only been posted for Watson. As the gate slams behind Watson, one of the other criminals being held tells Holmes that he better get out soon, as the criminals are getting "hungry".The next day, a large group of people are surrounding something. The guards are worried it might be a riot, but it turns out to be Holmes sitting down with the criminal from earlier, cracking jokes. The crowd laughs uproariously, before a guard steps in to tell Holmes that his bail has been posted. When Holmes asks who posted the bail, the guard just says that Holmes has friends in high places. We see a rich-looking carriage in the distance, where a hand beckons to Holmes. He steps in, and is told he has to be blindfolded.When Holmes's blindfold is removed, he's inside a large mansion. Standing in front of him is Sir Thomas Rotheram (James Fox) and another associate. They apologize for blindfolding Holmes, saying they needed to protect their location. Holmes scoffs a little, and promptly gives a full turn-by-turn recap of the route they just took, simply based on observations using his other senses. He then notes the ring on Sir Thomas's finger, and concludes that he is in the headquarters of the Temple of the Four Orders in St. James's Square. It's at this point that the Home Secretary Lord Coward (Hans Matheson), and American Ambassador Standish steps into the room as well.Sir Thomas, Lord Coward, and Standish explain that Temple of the Four Orders is a secret society similar to The Illuminati and the Freemasons who practice magic for good. They tell Holmes that Lord Blackwood was once a member, but they're having trouble controlling him. They want the situation resolved, and are willing to put everything they have at Holmes's disposal. Lord Coward tells Holmes that as he is the Home Secretary, he has control of the police force. Sir Thomas tells Holmes that the key to Lord Blackwood's power is in a book of spells. He hands a book to Holmes who flips at it disinterestedly. Sir Thomas says he knows that Holmes doesn't believe in magic, but it's important.Holmes says he'll help, but not because he wants their resources. He's genuinely curious about the situation. He also reveals that Sir Thomas is Lord Blackwood's father, based on the fact that they have identical physical traits. Sir Thomas seems stunned, and says that very few people know of the relation. Sir Thomas conceived Lord Blackwood with one of the women used in their rituals, and Blackwood has been evil since his youth. Holmes says that given that everyone Blackwood is close to has been killed, Sir Thomas is probably Blackwood's next victim. The three men look at each other anxiously as Holmes leaves.Irene Adler finds Holmes trying to get into her hotel room, and hands him a bottle of wine saying, "Here's something you might be able to open". As she changes behind a screen and with her back to Holmes, Holmes confronts her about Reordan's death. It's clear that she's very troubled by this news, but she plays it off for Holmes. Holmes urges her to flee, and she invites him to come along. He says he can't, but tells her that she has to go or he's going to put her in protective custody. Holmes confronts Irene about the man in the carriage with the wrist-mounted pistol, and remarks that he must be a professor - as evidenced by a chalk mark on his collar. Irene seems completely non-plussed that Holmes has followed her. We understand that this is a game of chase for both of them, and will always be that way.Irene pours two glasses of wine and hands Holmes one. He gulps it down, and immediately begins to feel dizzy. He realizes then that the wine was drugged. Irene chidingly tells him that he shouldn't have refused to come along, and pulls him onto the bed. He passes out.Late at night, as Sir Thomas is bathing at his house, he hears a noise, looks around but dismisses it. Suddenly, the water starts bubbling, the lights go out, and Lord Blackwood appears. Sir Thomas tries to turn the water off, but his hand can't reach the faucet. Blackwood pushes his own father's hand into the water, then steals his ring. Blackwood stays until Sir Thomas drowns.The next morning, at Irene Adler's hotel room, a maid comes in and shrieks with shock at what she finds: Holmes has been handcuffed to the bed, and has a pillow covering his genitals. Irene has even left the "key to his release" under said pillow. We then cut to Holmes sitting in a carriage, retelling the story to Clarkie, the constable who had fetched him to Lord Blackwood's gravesite. Clarkie finds the whole thing extremely amusing, and says it's a good thing that the maid was offended enough to call the police, as it helped Homes out of the situation quicker.They pull up to Sir Thomas's mansion, and they begin their examination of the body/murder site. Holmes asks why the water's been drained, and the constable says it was out of respect. Holmes sits down and sort of laughs at Scotland Yard's incompetence. He tells them to look for a bath powder while he examines the scene.After the last constable leaves the room, Sherlock begins tapping on the walls, and finally finds a latch that allows him to open up a hidden door. Behind the door is a small space with magic tools/symbols/etc. Holmes rifles through the items and picks up two skulls and a book of spells, which he slips into his coat pocket. As the constables come back into the room, he asks them if they've found the powder. They say yes and he leaves.Ambassador Standish (William Hope), the ambassador to the United States, arrives at a nondescript building that night. Standish is greeted by Lord Coward and other members of the Order, who inform him that Sir Thomas is dead. Coward then tells him that they're voting on a new leader, and has already appointed Lord Blackwood. Standish seems stunned, but Coward says that this is the natural order of things. Blackwood (according to Coward) is powerful enough to make Britain regain its past glory, including winning back to the US. Blackwood appears, and says that the US is currently embroiled in post-Civil War turmoil and is ripe for the taking. He then sits down in the leader's chair.Standish says that he won't stand for this, and decides to shoot Blackwood instead. Blackwood suggests he not do so. Standish ignores it, and pulls the trigger, and instantly bursts into flames, which shocks the other members. Standish leaps out the window and falls to his death, while Coward urges the other members to drink to their new leader.The following day, Watson is packing up his medical studio. Holmes sticks his head in and asks if he can use Watson's study, now that it's no longer occupied. Watson seems a little hurt but agrees, and Holmes carries in a body. It's from one of the henchmen who attacked Holmes and Watson at Reordan's apartment, who apparently died after his neck was crushed by Dredger's weight.They examine the body, and try to figure out where the man was before his death. They determine that he was working out of a meat factory near the Thames, a lead Holmes wants to chase down immediately. Holmes tells Watson he doesn't have to come, but deliberately leaves his pistol on the table to get Watson to follow his lead.That night, Holmes and Watson travel with Tanner, a boat captain who knows London's waterways better than anyone else. Tanner and Holmes are laughing uproariously while Watson's struggling with manning the boat. Watson complains that they're not doing anything, but Holmes and Tanner just laugh at him.They dock the boat at the factory. Holmes and Watson go inside, and the setup is very similar to the redheaded dwarf's place. There's a lot of scientific equipment, and a biblical quotation that refers to the end. As Holmes and Watson stalk around, they notice a row of pigs hanging on a line, ready to be chopped into pieces. They're interrupted by Lord Blackwood's voice, who says that he warned Holmes all of this would happen. Holmes and Watson back up against the wall with their weapons brandished, but they can't figure out where the voice is coming from. Blackwood's face suddenly appears in a crack in the wall behind Holmes and Watson, and both men jump, turn around and shoot at the noise. However, Blackwood manages to get away, but not before 1) saying that "she" followed Holmes and Watson and 2) setting off flames. Indeed, he's kidnapped Irene Adler and tied her up to the pig line, surrounded by flames. Watson cautions Holmes that "this game is going to hurt".Holmes wraps himself in a blanket and races towards Irene. He throws the blanket around Irene, trying to protect her from the flames. At the same time, Watson begins fiddling with equipment to get the flames to stop. He manages to stop the flames, but the line is still headed towards the blades.Holmes sees a box of scraps, reaches up and throws the scraps in the gears of the line, trying to jam it. It works for a couple of seconds, but the scraps move and the line continues to move. Holmes tells Watson to prop Irene up, while he tries to figure out what to do. Watson races over, and Holmes grabs a saw and tries to hack away at the chains binding Irene to the line. It doesn't work.They're only seconds away from the animal-slicing saw now, and Holmes sees a steam pipe. He tells Watson to turn it on, and he effectively overloads the pipe and brings the line crashing down. Irene is saved from the saw, only seconds away from being chopped up. Once freed, she hugs Watson and Holmes, also leaning to kiss Holmes on the cheek.Watson goes after Lord Blackwood with Holmes following close behind. As Watson runs, he's too distracted by Blackwood's getaway boat fleeing the scene, and hits a trip wire. He turns around to see Holmes behind him, and yells at Holmes to stop. Unfortunately, the line has already been tripped, and a series of explosions rips through the building. Watson and Holmes are separated by blasts, so Holmes grabs Irene and tries to shield her to the best of ability. The explosions go on for some time, and Holmes finally blacks out.When Holmes finally comes to, the constable from earlier (the one that summoned him to Blackwood's grave and escorted him to Sir Thomas's murder scene) is shaking him. He tells Holmes that Lord Coward has utilized his powers and issued a warrant for Holmes's arrest. He also informs Holmes that Watson's doing okay, but Holmes must flee immediately. Holmes gets up and begins to run.We cut to Irene Adler dressed and about to board a train. She asks a conductor if the train is delayed, and he assures her it is not. She gets into her car, and we see the shadow figure from earlier sitting in a corner, reading a newspaper. He tells her that the train will leave when he wants it to; He also chides her saying that he hired her to manipulate Holmes's feelings for her, not to have her succumb to them. Irene gulps.Cut to a doctor leaning over Watson in a hospital ward. Watson's asleep, and we can see that he's severely injured. We see Mary approach the bed and ask the doctor how Watson's doing. The doctor hastily excuses himself, and Mary follows, asking if that's "the best he can do". We get a close-up and see that the doctor is actually Holmes in disguise.Holmes looks guilty and anguished, but Mary gently assures him - without ever acknowledging his identity - that Watson wouldn't have gotten involved if he didn't want to. He saw the whole thing as an adventure. She tells Holmes that everything's going to be okay, but he needs to fix it.Cut to Holmes sitting in the opium room at the Punch Bowl from earlier, thinking over the situation. He pulls out the bones he collected from Sir Thomas's, along with the spell book. Holmes decides that the only way to truly understand the situation is to understand the magic, and attempts to create one of the spells. His mind wanders in a daze, and he passes out.Cut to Holmes on the bed, waking up to Irene staring down at him. She greets him, and then we see that Watson is sitting in the room as well. Watson comes over to sit on the bed with him, and they have an awkward moment of not looking each other, grumbling that they're glad the other is okay. (It's very much another bromance moment.) Irene just studies them with amusement.Watson asks about Holmes's recreation of the magic (there're really detailed pentacles and animals drawn all over the floor), and Holmes explains that it allowed him to understand Lord Blackwood's next move.* He explains that based on the spell book, spell practitioners will always have a drawing of a pentacle and a cross in the pentacle.
* He pulls out a map and says that using the Order's temple as a center point (the building where the US ambassador was killed), Blackwood's earlier five victims were all killed at the five points of the pentacle.
* The following three victims (following Blackwood's resurrection) were killed at the points of the cross, and each death corresponded to an animal. (Each cross point has an animal).
* There's only one cross point left, whose animal is a lion. It means that the next site is going to be the House of Parliament, as both the House of Commons and the House of Lords are meeting today.At this point, Sherlock's explanation is interrupted by the arrival of Lestrade and his men. Sherlock tells Irene and Watson to escape through a trap door, and hands Watson an envelope with a list of instructions. Holmes remains to face off with Lestrade.Lestrade takes Holmes in a carriage to the House of Parliament and delivers him to Lord Coward's office. Lestrade comes in, and apologizes for interrupting Lord Coward. Lestrade pulls open a coat and shows a pin with what appears to be the Order's symbol, and says that he has brought Holmes to Lord Coward to protect the order. Lestrade accuses Holmes of spreading rumors about the Order, while Holmes retorts that he now knows that being an Order member is how Lestrade managed to become an inspector at Scotland Yard.Lestrade excuses himself, and Lord Coward begins taunting Holmes. Holmes manages to close the flue on Lord Coward's fireplace, before inquiring about Lord Coward's plans for the Order.Coward (with his back to Holmes) admits that they only want true believers in the government, but tells Holmes he'll never figure out how Blackwood, Coward and the Order plan to take out the non-believers.Holmes scoffs and tells Coward that he's already figured it out. He's noticed that Coward's boots were stained with mud when he walked in, and Coward smells like the sewer. Undoubtedly, Blackwood has set his trap up in the sewers beneath Parliament.(We cut to a quick scene of Blackwood, Coward and followers anointing a site in the sewers.)Holmes also adds that he knows Coward was with Blackwood from the beginning: Coward's shoes are one of a kind, and Holmes noticed them when he broke up the ritual three months ago.Coward pulls out a weapon and turns around to shoot Holmes, but the closed flue has allowed the room to fill with smoke. He stalks around the room trying to sense Holmes out, but we see that Holmes is actually sitting behind him, smoking his pipe. Holmes tells him that they have a lot to get done, darts across the room, and leaps out the window.Once Holmes hits the water, he holds up a pipe and is promptly thrown a rope by Watson, who is waiting in the boat from earlier. Holmes gets on, and is wrapped in a blanket by Irene.They discuss what Holmes has figured out regarding the site being in the sewers. He also tells them that he had worked out with Lestrade on how to get into Lord Coward's in the first place. We cut to a flashback of Holmes telling Lestrade what to say/how to act on the carriage, including pretending to be a member of the order.Following this, Holmes directs them to an entrance for the sewers.Cut to both Houses of Parliament filing in. Coward's examining the scene with a knowing smile.Cut to Watson, Holmes and Irene in the sewers. They're greeted with a device loaded with poison that is set to be released into the vents surrounding the House. Several men are guarding it, and Watson hurriedly confers with Holmes on what to do, but they're interrupted by Irene whipping out a pistol and shooting at the men. Watson remarks that Holmes's muse "certainly likes to make an entrance".The three of them begin brawling with the guards, and they're only interrupted by the arrival of the French man from earlier. Irene attempts to shoot at the French man, but only upsets him. Holmes chides her, and tells her to figure out the device.Upstairs, Lord Coward announces the return of Lord Blackwood to the disdain and disgust of most of the room. Blackwood says that they need to join together, and believers will revive England, etc. Lots of head shaking and disdain follow.Back downstairs, Irene's having trouble disarming the device. She says that it's been designed in a way that any attempts to stop it will fail. Holmes and Irene agree that the device is somehow going to be triggered remotely. Watson continues fighting.Upstairs, Lord Blackwood says that all non-believers will perish. Members of the Order make to stand at the doors and link arms, to prevent everyone else from leaving.Downstairs, Holmes and Irene agree that the only way is to block the release of the device, pull out the canisters of poison in the device, and set off a remote explosion. Irene manages to pull the canisters out, and goes racing off into the sewers. Holmes helps Watson take out more guards, and then chases after Irene.Upstairs, Lord Blackwood sets off the device, but nothing happens. Coward looks confused, and Blackwood stalks off to the sewer to find out what's going on.Irene continues to race through the sewers, looking for a way out. Holmes follows behind. Blackwood notices a blur running past and follows as well.Irene finally reaches open air, only to discover that she's somehow ended up on the scaffolding for a partially completed Tower Bridge. Holmes appears behind her, declares that he wasn't going to chase her anymore, and tells her to leave.Irene looks exhausted, and says that she'll tell Holmes everything. He replies, "I wish you would". But before she can speak, she's interrupted by Blackwood, who pushes Irene off the scaffolding. She hits another scaffolding piece below, and is knocked out.Holmes and Blackwood face off, and Holmes tells him that he figured out that all of Blackwood's "magic" is just well plotted scientific tricks.* Lord Blackwood didn't resurrect from the dead - he had a clip on his noose that shifted the weight to his waist.
* The limestone outside of Lord Blackwood's grave wasn't shattered by supernatural force. Instead, it was shattered beforehand, and glued together by the honeycomb substance Holmes and Watson saw while going through Luke Reordan's lab. (This explains a scene where Holmes is licking the limestone at the cemetery.)
* The Ambassador wasn't killed by supernatural force. Instead, the rain showering him was a gas that triggered from rigged gunpowder fuel when the ambassador pulled the trigger.
* Sir Thomas's bath powder, when mixed with the metal content from Thomas's ring, caused the water to boil.
* The reason the Order members wouldn't have been poisoned is because Blackwood had them drink the antidote to the poison after the ambassador was killed. The antidote was disguised as holy water.Blackwood congratulates him on figuring it out, and Holmes mentions that he can't wait to see Blackwood in jail. Blackwood reaches for a weapon to kill Holmes, but accidentally trips off a scaffolding and falls to his death. His body is left hanging off of Tower Bridge, which is supposed to be ironic, considering the plans for the original execution.Holmes goes down to where Irene is, and waits for her to wake up. She tells him that her original employer is a man named Professor Moriarty, a man who is dangerous and just as smart as Holmes. She warns him that Moriarty is a very dangerous foe, but Holmes laughs it off. He then puts handcuffs on her and drops a key down her shirt, a call back to the hotel scene. He kisses her on the head, and then leaves her on the scaffolding.Cut to Watson walking down the street with Mary, and Mary asking if Holmes has really reconciled himself to Watson moving out. Watson says he has, and gestures to the replacement ring Holmes bought for her - a huge diamond.They go inside, and Mary seems taken aback to see Holmes hanging from the rafters. Watson is non-plussed though, and says that Holmes is too arrogant to kill himself. He pokes at Holmes, and Holmes awakens. Holmes explains that he was testing out how Blackwood prevented his death at the first hanging attempt - the clip distributing the weight to the waist. He asks Watson to cut him down; Watson refuses. Only after Holmes has explained everything Watson finally cuts Holmes down from the rafters.Mary notices that the dog is unconscious again, and Holmes says the dog will be fine in a minute. It's at this moment that Holmes learns that a piece is missing from the machine Blackwood attempted to use against the House. He figures out that Moriarty took a piece while Holmes was busy chasing after Irene. Holmes figures out that Moriarty may be a more dangerous foe than he originally thought. Watson and Mary leave to go to their new home, and Holmes is left alone to muse over the new case that has been brought before him. | comedy, boring, mystery, murder, cult, violence, atmospheric, flashback, good versus evil, clever, action, entertaining, sci-fi | train | imdb | And yes, we can tell that this movie takes place THAT early in their relationship because Watson has not yet married his wife (the retconning did annoy me, too, by the way, but you just can't avoid a little re-imagining here and there).Speaking of unavoidable, Irene Adler, Holmes' one uncapturable (is that a word?), simply had to be cast as a potential love interest.
Rachel McAdams also shows up as Irene Adler, the only criminal who has ever gotten the best of Holmes.Downey Jr. brings quick-wit, cunning, and a scruffy toughness to a role long seen as stuffy and dry, while Law a distinguished charm that, at times, spills over into testy aggressiveness (which is funniest at Holmes most annoying).
Such is the case with Guy Ritchie's interpretation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's greatest character.Mr. Ritchie provides us with quite a departure from the Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce "Holmes and Watson".
The result is a film that will surely prove the most popular take on the character outside of Conan Doyle's original novels, and will also likely spawn a franchise.-----Sherlock Holmes and his partner Dr. Watson have been successfully solving cases throughout England for years.
Together they inspire numerous laughs and clever rebuttals to an unrelenting degree, allowing many of the jokes to pass unrealized, saved for the treat of a second viewing.-----'Sherlock Holmes' has a method completely reminiscent of Director Guy Ritchie's earlier films.
But rest assured, a satisfying finale follows, with so many pieces coming together that a second viewing is a necessity to begin dissecting the intricacies of the case being solved, if that only means better understanding Holmes' course of action.-----Visually Ritchie has constructed a film in the shadows, only occasionally getting out into spanning shots of daylight England.
'Sherlock Holmes' won't be quite what you expect, and you may even be dismayed by the films feisty narrative style, but more often than not you'll be completely entertained by the characters on screen in this fun addition to the loaded Holiday season..
Today, American society and culture is infected with internet memes, battles of quick wit, and straight-faced jokes that provoke a lame laughter from me (one not deeply felt.) You could compare what I am saying to the dialogue in 'The Big Bang Theory.' Hollywood could maybe tone down a bit on dry and clever jokes, especially when they poke out during unnecessary times.In conclusion, I enjoyed this movie enough to rate it an 8 out of 10, and although I did complain more than I gave praise, I just didn't want to give away all of the good parts.
You know, come the finale of Guy Ritchie's "update" of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's much loved super sleuth I was not only bored to almost impending sleep, but also struck with one overriding question; why not just make a Victorian piece about a couple of swanky buddy sleuths and leave out the name Sherlock Holmes?
Guy Ritchie's Recipe For One Terrible Movie: *Take perfect classic story, then knead it until mixed randomly *Add 3 heaping Tablespoons of good actors; peel off talent and discard *Mix in 3 tons of nasty dead pigs from ceiling *Sprinkle in a dash of bro-mance with zero chemistry every now and then *Put a lame ninja-like fight scene not related to the non-existent plot in with loud noises to wake audience up every 15 minutes *Throw in obvious set-ups for the upcoming sequel every three minutes to remind the audience that this won't be the last 2 hours and 8 minutes they will spend in a drooling plot less, senseless, endless comaGee, I can't wait for "Sherlock Holme2" (where the 's' in Holmes flips to a '2' shaped like a cheesy smoking CG pipe) to throw away another two hours of my life that I could spend on something more useful like painting my house with a Q-tip or reviewing a movie online (that I'd give a negative number rating were it possible!)For the half of you think this movie was the best thing since string cheese and are marking these low reviews as unhelpful, seek help.
at some point, maybe modern audiences will stop saying "oooh aah," and look for some artistry.one could hardly call this a **spoiler alert** as the next remake of "Bambi" will, no doubt, contain the obligatory checklist of "action-packed adventure" scenes, but i'm really tired of fight clubs, explosions, burning bodies, slow motion mutilation of human faces, etc.if they can actually sit through it, Arthur Conan Doyle fans will enjoy the variety of allusions to his work.
I am reminded of a comment made long ago about the filming of "Gone With the Wind" which more or less said, "The audience will forgive you for what you leave out, but they will have a hard time with what you put in." I'm sorry, but everything that was put into this mess was a travesty to everything that Sherlock Holmes has been for all these years.
Jude Law's Watson shows little affection for or understanding of this nouveau Holmes, and their little bits of stage business evoke nothing of the vital feeling between them.That said, if a steam-punk action-adventure film that's built around three or four elaborate chase sequences appeals, this film may be a fun way to spent an afternoon -- it's certainly a decent "popcorn" flick.
Let's make Holmes a dysfunctional slob, and Watson a gambling jerk, and give them some kind of frustrated bro-mance, with no chemistry.Yeah, we'll use Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr., but it will still stink.Okay, the CGI looked good, and they did some great set direction, but deep down, you don't care.
It's elementary Guy - keep it simple and develop your characters with a plot that people can relate to.I am trying to think where this film went wrong and I have reached the conclusion that it was just about everywhere.What the hell Jude Law was doing in this load of tripe I will never know but you could say that his talent was completely wasted in endless predictable action and fight scenes.If there was ever a one joke or one theme movie this was it.
I had a horrible idea of a stupid, glossy action movie that had nothing to do with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's writing.The casting of Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law did little to reassure me.The movie was everything I feared..a steampunk version of Holmes for American teenagers with Holmes' "woman" Irene Adler shoe-horned in.There are action scenes galore, some of them are decently staged but this is not a Holmes story.I went in with low expectations and my worst fears were realised.A better disappointment..
But when it appears the super-villain has mysteriously risen from the grave, Holmes and his nagging but ever loyal sidekick Dr. Watson (Jude Law) must use all their detective know how and skill to solve the mystery while dodging obstruction from every corner of London society.A big screen adaptation for 21st century audiences of Arthur Conon Doyle's legendary literary detective was an unusual change of direction for southern hot shot Guy Ritchie to take on, but he's gone at it with his usual gusto, leaving no stone unturned and striving for the most professional job he can get.
When reading more about it here on IMDb, I realized, it's probably because of Guy Ritchie.I really feel sorry for Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. They have each been in some good movies, but this time, we walked out after an hour.There was nothing wrong with the idea of updating Holmes, showing a more physical or emotional side, compared to the dry, almost emotionless way that he's usually been portrayed.
The grandfather of the mystery genre -- and film's most adapted character -- is none other than the great detective Sherlock Holmes, so if one were to apply Holmes' own deductive reasoning skills, a modern reinvention was a matter of time.
Holmes and his dear friend Dr. Watson (Jude Law) are on the verge of ending their partnership because Watson has plans to settle down and marry when the crafty Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams) gets them deep into the Blackwood case.The supernatural angle didn't work well for the latest Indiana Jones film and it doesn't exactly do well here.
My main problem with the film was there being NO Sherlock Holmes or Watson characters, and NO mystery plot.
I think Robert Downey may be covering for him, as Jude seemed to be the one more likely to be the Sherlock type.Other than the lack of plot and characters, I had a major problem with the ridiculous action scenes.
Had this movie used been made NOT based on these two legendary characters, I believe people would have reviewed it more favourably.I've read all the books, watched all the DVDs I can get my hands own, and have studied the various interpretations of Holmes & Watson on-screen & on-stage and I was hoping that the success of this movie would trigger a resurrection of interest in the original Conan Doyle stories, perhaps an introduction of the original stories to a newer generation (i.e. similar to a Harry Potter or Twilight).However, in wanting to appeal to a modern movie-viewing audience I think the movie failed on many counts -- not glitzy & exciting enough for modern day movie-go'ers new to Sherlock Holmes and way too off-the-mark with traditional Sherlockians.If this is your FIRST introduction to Holmes, please do yourself a favour and give Conan Doyle's stories their proper due by renting or borrowing one of the many movies with Jeremy Brett as Holmes.
It's a good film inspired on splendid novels about Sherlock Holmes character written by Arthur Conan Doyle , including two first-range nasties with malignant aims as Mark Strong as Blackwood and Doctor Moriarty , furthermore one woman , Rachel McAdams , as a suspicious young with mysterious purports .In the flick appears the usual of the Arthur Conan Doyle's novels : Dr.Moriarty , Mistress Hudson (Geraldine James), Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan) and of course Doctor Watson (Jude Law) , the perfect counterpart to Holmes .
Robert Downey Jr.'s interpretation is magnificent , he's a Sherlock for modern times , of course very different to Basil Rathbone considered the best Holmes in the cinema , likeness to Peter Cushing and Jeremy Brett in television.
While cinematicly interesting and attractive for the people who have never read a book a day, or even a book a month, as most Ritchie's films are (I love Lock Stock too), this take on the classic is a step too far.Jude Law is great as Watson, i never doubted that character in his hands (similar to Russian Solomin who played Watson brilliantly, with a healthy dose of humour too), Robert Downey is the usual American take on a superhero, despite of Ritchie's UK heritage, he comes across very far from the character Doyle created.
I like Robert Downey too, normally, as an actor, but he';s gone quite a few notches down in my popularity list after making this but not to discredit him too much, Ritchie's whole idea to modernise Holmes stories for the new "internet generation" or illiterat6e people who have never held a book in their hands is rather shallow and pathetic (or pedantic as peter Griffin would say), especially for those who love Conan Doyle's books, as most of US remakes of classics are.
I am sure i will be disagreed with, especially by those who have not read those books until the pages worn off....When you grow up as a kid, reading every Sherlock Holmes story 30-50 times, because they are brilliant (and the main reason for myself to immigrate to UK 16 years ago from Ukraine), you begin to realise how bad the modern films (based on classic books) are, making them "interesting" and "exciting" for the new generations, but he might as well have made it in the 80's, with Arnie and Sly, as the main characters and are packed with cool special effects, destroying the original stories.
I wonder what my dear Stephen Fry (big fan of Holmes/Doyle) would think of this atrocityI have only 1 review published, out of 4 I wrote for IMDb, so this probably won't see the light of day anyway, but for all those with a bit of brain in them, avoid this, if you have any respect for the original great books/charactersTo be absolutely objective though (hence 2/10, instead of 1/10), the visuals, the action movie setup, Guy Ritchie's usual fun bits and the cast, it's OK :), but the stories were raped and completely re-interpreted to get a hit at box office.
The BBC cast Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular loose- cannon, with Martin Freeman as his sidekick Dr. Watson in the series Sherlock, but director Guy Ritchie wanted to revert back to the source novels for his Holmes, and who better than Robert Downey, Jr. to star as the bohemian detective-for-hire with a penchant for self-starvation and cocaine.
Yawn.Robert Downey Jnr and Jude Law are both superb actors, but Rachel McAdams (was that her name?) looked like she had wondered out of the Time Traveller's Wife into another film and forgot to act differently.A film worth missing in general..
Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes is unsurprisingly not faithful to Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, however this does not necessarily make it a bad film, and it is possible for Ritchie and co.
Instead of plot development there are several fight scenes and explosions which add nothing of substance and add little style."Sherlock Holmes" takes little from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and makes up the rest with Hollywood blockbuster clichés and the tiresome traits of Guy Ritchie's films, resulting in a poor adaptation and a poor film..
Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law play London detectives Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, who captures the black magic follower Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), but has somehow mysteriously returned to life after his hanging.
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) go head to head with the evil Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong) who has plans for world domination.
And Robert Downey, Jr. is a magnificent talent, who held my attention when he was on the screen, as he always does, despite the weakness of the character and the writing in this film.That's as positive as I can be about this movie, on which I have just wasted what felt like a few more hours than the clock said it was.It was just so very boring and, in the large ways, unfocused.
A Fun Ride, Even For An Old Rathbone-Bruce Fan Like Me. I stayed away from this for a long time because I'm an old codger who loves the old Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movies and from the trailer, I thought this was going to be another far-out Robert Downey Jr. flick that would be more science fiction/FX movie than a good Holmes mystery.
Well, it was....BUT the movie was still very entertaining and I really liked it......and I'd certainly watch it again.Yeah, it was a little weird seeing Holmes and Watson duking it out numerous times like they were members of The Expendables, but once that was accepted, I could settle back and enjoy the action, the dialog, the special effects, the fascinating characters and sharp picture and visuals, making it all surprisingly-fun ride.
If the characters were renamed, this would be an excellent action movie telling the story of a detective and his good friend in a XIX century London, instead of a poor attempt to copy Conan Doyle's style.Of course, if the movie's name weren't Sherlock Holmes i wouldn't be much interested in watching it, but at least i wouldn't have left the theater thinking "that was a big waste of time"...Call me annoying, nerd or whatever if you want, but this movie is not worthy the name of Sherlock Holmes.
On this film, I basically agree with the NY Times review- mildly diverting but falls way short of its potential, although all the people I saw it with liked it.You have Sherlock Holmes, one of the great characters of literature, two fine actors in Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law turning in excellent performances (although Downey was very hard to understand), and some well done period art direction and costumes, but the film was borderline boring.
Sherlock Holmes is an entertaining action crime adventure from director Guy Ritchie whose admirable in making this movie.
Overall I was still very impressed with Sherlock Holmes and I recommend this to anyone looking for a movie that sure to leave you feeling entertained by the end.
Sherlock Holmes has a complex but not too complicated story with just enough action, humor, drama, and exceptional performances by the two leads (especially Downey Jr. and Law) who make this film worth the time to watch..
Guy Ritchie did a great job portraying this master detective based on the actual Doyle stories and did not rely on the old Holmes movies.
The movie was all I expected it to be, with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law as leads and Guy Ritchie as director - there was plenty of wise- cracking and many cool action sequences.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had arguably created the literary world's greatest detective operating from that famed 221B Baker Street address in London, and has been the subject of countless film interpretations, but none quite like what Guy Ritchie had crafted in making Sherlock Holmes a lot more sexier for today's audiences, compared to the rather stiff persona perceived so far, picking up the various clues from the books and cranking those elements up by a mile.
Well, that's it for the good.If you don't care for the traditional Sherlock Holmes, you may very well like this movie.
I really like Robert Downey Jr. and the few Sherlock Holmes novels I've read by Arthur Conan Doyle, so this film version of the memorable English Detective was a great surprise. |
tt0848557 | Diary of the Dead | The movie begins with news reporters filming a story about the death of an immigrant couple and their child. As they are wheeled out of their apartment building on a gurney, the mother and the child suddenly wake up and attack the emergency services crew on site. Both are shot in the head, but not before biting quite a few of the people.After an introduction to the zombie documentary ('The Death of Death') mostly filmed by Jason Creed (Joshua Close), a film student at the University of Pittsburgh, the film cuts to the group of students filming a mummy horror movie in the woods in the middle of the night, with Jason directing. The actor playing the mummy, Ridley Wilmot (Phillip Riccio), is lectured on the way a corpse moves and the make-up artist, Tony Ravelo (Shawn Roberts), on not doing a good enough job on the make-up of the zombie. While the group argues, another student, named Elliot Stone (Joe Dinicol), declares that something strange is on the news. All the students, and their supervising professor hear the reports of the dead waking, and Tony scoffs at the news. After hearing the report, Ridley decides to head to his home in Philadelphia, along with his girlfriend Francine Shane (Megan Park), another student.The group gets into their Winnebago and heads over towards the university dorms to pick up Debra Monahan (Michelle Morgan), Jason's girlfriend. Entering the abandoned dormitory, he finds Debra in her room, attempting to get through to her parents, but to no avail. On the laptop computer next to her is the news report that was shown at the beginning of the movie. They get on the road once more, and Jason requests that each of the people introduce themselves to the camera, because he believes what is going on will be a part of history, and wants to document everything. Each of the group members introduce themselves hesitantly, starting with Mary Dexter (Tatiana Maslany), the driver, and moving to Debra, and Tony, then to Elliot, Gordo Thorson (Chris Violetti), his girlfriend Tracy Thurman (Amy Lalonde), and finally their professor, Andrew Maxwell (Scott Wentworth). While they drive, they encounter a car accident on the side of the road, where a State Trooper slowly stumbles towards the caravan. The students are frightened as he looks as though he has been fried from the fire of the accident. He begins to pound on the door, and the group quickly drive off, running over three other zombies as they escape.Mary falls quickly into depression as she realizes that she has murdered three people. Stopping for a break outside, Mary shoots herself with a pistol she was carrying, prompting the group to panic. Discovering that she still has a pulse, they rush to an abandoned hospital, looking for help. The group splits up, and Gordo hears a chaotic radio transmission. The group eventually find a doctor hidden behind a curtain. They call for his help, only to discover that he is a zombie. After firing shots into his torso, they realize the only way to put an end to him is to shoot him in the head. After killing him, an undead nurse starts to stumble towards them. After losing its eyes due to Debra zapping her head with a defibrillator, Gordo puts an end to her by shooting her in the head too.Running out of battery power for the camera, Jason opts to stay with a comatose Mary while it charges. He hears Debra screaming, but remains where he is, not wanting to leave his camera. Debra comes back, with another video camera in hand, and lectures Jason about his documentation being more important than their lives. Mary suddenly groans as she begins to turn into a zombie. The professor confiscates the pistol from Gordo's hands and kills Mary. On their way out of the hospital, a zombie patient bites Gordo in the arm before Elliot stabs the patient in the head with an IV pole.A few hours later it is dawn. The group bury Mary, and Gordo is dead. Tony prepares to shoot him, but Tracy stops him, pleading for him to wait and see whether he will turn. Gordo then does wake up as a zombie, and Tracy kills her boyfriend herself. They get on the road again, only to have the caravan break down due to a broken fuel line. They find a barn and its deaf owner, Samuel, an Amish man. After repairing the fuel line, the group prepares to leave. But several zombies appear from out of nowhere and attack. Samuel is bitten and stabs himself in the head with a scythe, thus killing the zombie behind him in the process.Another few hours later, the group encounters a band of rugged African-American survivors who have stocked a fortified warehouse with supplies. Jason uploads the footage he has shot so far on the Internet, and gets 72,000 message replies within eight minutes from around the world. Debra receives a text message on her cell phone from her little brother, claiming they are safe and heading home. Just before leaving, Ridley calls Jason via webcam and invites him over to his mansion in Philadelphia saying that he and Francine are safe. The group gathers some supplies from the warehouse after Tony kills a zombie and proving his worth to the rugged survivors.The group then sets out again to Debra's home. When they arrive, they find Debra's parent's car in the garage with the passenger window smashed and bloody. As they search the house, Debra is ambushed by her undead brother, who is quickly killed by Professor Maxwell with a bow and arrow. Debra also finds her zombie mother who had been chewing on her dead father. She is also killed by the professor, who claims that they need to leave.As night falls once again, the group decides to head over to Ridley's home hoping to find santuary. Before they get there, the group encounters two jeeps with four soldiers from the National Guard, who stop them. While the other three soldiers stand guard around the trailer, the colonel (Alan Van Sprang) enters the camper asking where they are going. After ordering Jason to turn the camera off, the four rouge soldiers quickly steal all their supplies, save for their weapons, and drive away, leaving the students with no food or water.A few more hours later, the group finally arrives at Ridley's home, only to find the front door open. Searching the home, Ridley surprises them as he comes out of a panic room in the library that has a two-foot thick steel door and is filled with video camera monitors eyeing the whole grounds. Tracy and Jason go and unload the caravan while Tony films Ridley going through the kitchen, looking for some food. His strange behavior alarms both Tony and Debra, who ask where Francine and his family are. He claims that they are all dead, and that he has buried them. He shows the two their bodies, who have been carelessly dumped into the swimming pool, but not before Tony noticing a bite wound on Ridley's hand. Ridley quickly turns, and goes outside where Jason is filming Tracy unloading the caravan. The zombie Ridley suddenly attacks her, but she manages to run. Jason follows them with his camera, and distracts Ridley as Tracy smacks a stick into Ridley's back, knocking him out.Angered that Jason simply filmed her as her life was in jeopardy, Tracy takes the caravan and drives off on her own. In the bathroom, Elliot dries his hair with a blow dryer as he is ambushed by the undead Ridley, causing him to fall into the tub and killing him from electrocution.Professor Maxwell suggests they head into the panic room after seeing Elliot's death on the TV monitors, but Jason refuses, claiming he doesn't want to be shut off from the rest of the world. He lies that he'll go into the panic room, and while the rest of the group are busy stocking up, he sneaks away, only to run into Zombie Ridley. The group hears the commotion and find Jason being bitten by Zombie Ridley on the ground. Zombie Ridley's head is sliced in half by the professor, leaving Jason lying on the floor. He begs Debra to shoot him, which she does.The next morning, vowing to continue his movie, Debra uses the camera and takes Jason's place and begins to record their actions. Debra, Tony, and Professor Maxwell spot hundreds of zombies breaking into the mansion from all directions and a dead Elliot walking around the house. The professor quickly closes and locks the panic room door as the zombies move inside the house sealing the three survivors inside the panic room... with no hope of escape or rescue. The movie ends with Debra explaining how inhumane some humans are, and questions whether the human race is really worth saving. | horror, revenge, humor, violence, stupid | train | imdb | There are also some shots at censorship, social media, and the propaganda potential for the mainstream media.Unfortunately, Diary of the Dead feels like a watered-down reboot of his classic franchise, modernized and targeted at teenagers, with the requisite group of stereotypical dumb ass characters found in every direct-to-video slasher movie.
It's no hyperbole to say that Romero essentially invented the zombie movie, gave it the structures and tones that have relentlessly followed the genre through 40 years of movie history.Diary Of The Dead, Romero's new movie and latest entry into the 5-part series, is a return to the form and feel of his original classic Night Of The Living Dead.
Diary takes us back to the beginning, taking place during the first few days of the attacks, documenting how a group of college students (and one drunken professor) cope with the crisis growing around them.The hook of the movie is that what we're seeing is not presented in a typical film fashion, but instead as a series of homemade video clips made by the characters themselves.
Diary is a movie with thousands of bombs waiting under thousands of tables, waiting to explode every time the camera turns a new corner.After Land Of The Dead, a great movie that felt buried beneath a huge budget and massive studio interference, it's great to see Romero returning to his indie roots.
In DIARY the camera acts as a character in the film, a lot of time I forgot I was watching a documentary esquire movie, and thought I was just watching a film.
The film is not a zombie gore fest by any means, not by comparison to Land anyways (But don't worry, DIARY still holds a great deal of signature Romero moments that had the audience up and cheering).
The fact that the film was shot all in subjective camera doesn't result in a gimmicky, incoherent mess, like, say, the Blair Witch, but is used intelligently and effectively.The scares and effects were great, and the movie actually takes a rather complicated approach to the topic of today's media-saturated environment, rather than being a crude polemic.My only complaint would be that the voice-over and dialogue were a little clunky at times, overexplaining things that could have been inferred without too much trouble.
The budget is tiny and the actors unknown (as is the case with his best films), but the special effects are top-notch and there is plenty of gore that's made even more unsettling as seen through the lens of a camcorder.The 'Point Of View' technique is bound to generate concern over similarities to other films using the same style (Cloverfield for instance) but Diary is a very different kind of film and certainly not a 'rip-off', but rather a smaller scale movie doing it's own thing.There's humour (some real laugh-out-loud moments), social commentary (perhaps a little heavy handed, but relevant and intelligent), suspense, gore and everything else we've come to expect from a Romero film but bundled-up into a new and fresher style by the old guy.
Follow this recipeIngredients: Throw in bits of social satire of a world gone or going wrong right now, a brilliant cast and crew, top notch attention to detail and mix with equal part zombies and what you have is a complete George A Romero feast.Best thing about the above recipe is that it will never spoil as I will not spoil with any details of the storyline....just go see it if you get a chance to..
I have to give credit where it's due, because the lighting and scene construction were done pretty well.Generally speaking, a film can please a large audience by combining excessive foul language with gratuitous drug use, sex, or violence, but this film doesn't have anything other than cursing.Over the years, George Romero has been pivotal in the specific sub-sect of horror that focuses on the idea of a zombie apocalypse.
This film is a daring re-imagining of Romero's own Night of the Living Dead and the initial zombie outbreak that results in the undead apocalypse of Romero's "Dead" series.Unlike Cloverfield, this movie is not presented as "found footage", instead it is a finished student film that was uploaded to the Internet.
Even though some might criticize the film for taking itself too seriously, Romero firmly acknowledges the stuffiness of the subject matter and reminds us that this is just a movie after all and so let's have fun with it.Streebo rates George A.
I cannot believe this came from the same man that brought us Night, Dawn & Day of the Dead...What a boring, emotionless waste of time...I LOVE Romero and was really unhappy with Land of the Dead, but compared to Diary, that was a classic!
Have you ever rented a horror film that was really low-budget and made for like 50K and you accept the terrible acting and bad effects...well this was the same exact thing, only this one wasn't any fun....I cannot express what a letdown this movie was...I really never leave comments but I was really looking forward to this...what a waste..
Let me just tell you about 1 scene from the movie that I must have watched 7 times and still laughing about it.***SPOILER*** OK, they are a group of like 5 - 6 people going through this hospital and the guy holding the camera is walking in the back.
With what I have seen when movies are made with the point of view I would think the movie would try to make things so the characters are more relate able and a person can get better insight into the characters thoughts and mind.This chance does not seem to be taken .The story seems like it could have been covered better from the third person point of view and not under the narrative of the film which by the way was dull and painfully obvious at the symbolism it was trying to slap the viewer in the face with.My final problem with the movie is there was not as many zombie eating people moments as there could have been.That's one of the reasons I watch these movies for is straight out zombies eating people and zombies getting killed by people.There was just not enough of this which was a major disappointment.There was still good amounts of gore for the scenes with the killing in them though.
A group of young film-makers, off making a horror movie as part of their course, hear on the radio stories about something happening with the dead coming to life.
Romero does make some good points on how media manipulation from governments and agencies to distort the truth from the public can mean the truth can get lost.Although shot in a similar way to such movies as The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, the movie that comes to mind is actually a little known movie, The Last Broadcast, in that the footage that was shot has been edited with a voice-over and music added to turn it into a proper movie (the voice-over admits this at the start of the movie).The cast of unknowns are all very impressive.
Romero hits the "reset" button on his hugely influential Dead series with this scaled-back look at the zombie apocalypse as told from the perspective of a student filmmaker who sets out to shoot a low-budget fright film, but instead captures the breakdown of modern society at the decaying hands of flesh-eating ghouls.Jason Creed (Joshua Close) and his crew are shooting a mummy movie in the Pennsylvania woods when media reports begin pouring in about the dead rising from their graves to feast on the flesh of the living.
While self-centred star Ridley (Phillip Riccio) beats a hasty retreat to his family's fortified mansion halfway across the state, the remaining cast and crew are forced to fight for their lives despite having no weapons to speak of, and only a wobbly recreational vehicle in which to seek shelter.Immediately recognizing the gravity of the situation and outspokenly sceptical of the media, determined director Creed decides to use his own camera to capture the real story in a documentary entitled "The Death of Death." Now, as the group attempts to fight their way to safety, the sceptics will all watch as their greatest fears become reality, and the realists will attempt to process a nightmare that modern science would pass off as impossible.the movie suffers from the same malaise Romero diagnoses in society.
Even as his friends die he keeps filming.The story is decent as are the special effects, I mean this ain't' no 'Walking Dead' and it is very much a B movie but the zombie kills are fun and unique; the melting head covered in acid comes to mind and the opening scene at the hospital is also really good.Horror king George A Romero definitely has a style and as writer-director here, if you're a fan of the genre this is worth checking out.
A group of film students is in the woods shooting a low-budget zombie horror flick when the zombies start to rise with a hunger for human flesh.Next we see civilization fall apart as the zombie apocalypse is coming.Two of the group peel off and head back to a house they describe as a fortress and the rest sally forth in search of family aboard an RV.The students are also filming themselves trying to survive the end of the world."Diary of the Dead" is shot cinema-vérité style by our fledgling film crew caught up in the web of horror.There is a decent amount of gore and the acting by unknown cast is adequate,but the tone of the film is sometimes too preachy.If you are paying attention, assorted radio broadcasts are voiced by Romero fans such as Quentin Tarantino,Simon Pegg and Guillermo del Toro with a religious rant by Stephen King.7 out of 10..
Diary of the Dead dares to change many motifs of Romero's previous Dead films but by way of this films "commentary of the time", which is the importance of the information age.Without explaining the plot like other reviewers have, might i say that Romero's use of making the camera diagetic (that is exist within the film) is a balsy move that could have turned for the worst (Blair Witch Comparison).
I'm a big zombie movie fan, not obsessive, but enjoy a well thought out and acted story.The acting in this film immediately raised my doubts followed by extremely poor plot pieces, characters and general incoherent goings on.
As a lifelong Romero and zombie horror fan, I was counting the days until the release of "Diary" with much anticipation.The concept of the movie was very enticing, and hearing that Romero was to have complete control and influence over the direction, I could hardly wait.So, tonight on it's UK release, I dragged a friend along to view what was hopefully going to be THE horror film of the decade.
The idea was good and potentially we may have had an utterly terrifying 1st person perspective zombie rampage, complete with all the suspense and horror associated with past Romero films.Diary is a big insult to both "Dawn" and "Day".
Diary of the Dead was totally uncomfortable to watch.I'm a huge fan of zombie movies and George Romero -- which is why I was so surprised by Diary of the Dead!
After all, George Romero practically single-handedly created the American zombie movie genre by himself, with such classics as "Night of the Living Dead," with its brilliant commentary on racism, and "Dawn of the Dead," with its insightful satire of consumer culture.
For the attempt he deserves something, even though he's only in the film for about 6-7 minutes.In my Cloverfield review, I said this: "That this film works makes me look foreword to Diary Of The Dead, which will be an incredible experience if George A Romero utilises the camera half as well as Cloverfield has." Thats the problem.
George Romero's Diary of the Dead should be looked at as much as your typical 'kill-the-brain-to-kill-the-dead' zombie movie as it is a multi-faceted comment on media itself.
The cast of characters are filming a horror movie of their own, with an undead mummy about to attack a hot young college girl, and then "CUT!" and, of course, there are actual zombies.
But through Romero's technique of making this a trade-off of horror and documentary, he's still able to make a Romero movie as opposed to something like a Redacted (even if that has more in common with 'Diary' than the much compared-to Cloverfield).As if in a giddy act of a man in his golden years, Romero lets loose on new ways to kill people and reveal guts, and at the same time revisit some of his most potent themes from previous films.
There are the typical tough black characters (this time a kind of small militia of National Guard who've turned quasi-black panther), the rough rednecks going torturous with their "target practice", the token drunk guy in the group of student filmmakers as an echo to 'Day', and the juicy bizarre beats that we all love in Romero's work (i.e. the deaf Amish guy with a chalkboard, a nice lot of dynamite and a scythe).To be fair, I was probably more pleased with the end result, as I am one of those "fan-boys" for Romero's work; and to be also fair, Romero has always been experimenting in his career, from the artsy vampire flick Martin to the spin-off apocalypse flick The Crazies, even an obscure documentary he's done before Diary about OJ Simpson!
But Romero does something even more daring: he points his finger harsh, and at times hilariously, at the form of zombie movies themselves, from the 'mummy' horror movie made within the movie ("If your dead you walk slow", a character says after the "CUT" as the mummy actor gets mad).
In fact the camera style, also similarly used in REC and Cloverfield is supposed to install a sense of realism but everything felt incredibly staged, from actors to scenarios and really detached me from the whole experience.And with little action altogether(Judging from the 60mins I saw) it felt more like a film about a group of students pretty standard psychophysical debate set during a zombie invasion.
In reality it should have been students trying to survive during a zombie invasion but with such a lack of emotion from every character it seemed like this was just a pretty average day.All in all this is definitely one of the worst movies I've seen in recent years and has truly made me believe that George AR isn't just having a bad streak, but may be going completely senile.However I may watch it if it ever comes my way, some people are giving it good ratings and now I want to see if it changes into a completely different movie after the 60th minute because the pile of pants I watched doesn't even deserve a vote or even a damn entry into IMDb for being such a half-assed, poor excuse for a film..
What Romero is targeting with his criticism is DIY news reporting, and the notion that people would—through instinct—rather stop and watch people in distress than help them.This film is far more in vain of Night of the Living Dead than the rest of the series in that the relationship between the characters is just as important as the zombie threat.
Every avenue has been exhausted since then, with hundreds of walking dead movies in the forty plus years hence.Diary of the Dead uses a different angle by having a film crew of college students from the University of Pennsylvania i the process of making a horror flick, when real zombies start to chomp on the good people of Pa. The kids with the cameras decide to keep rolling, to make what should be an award winning documentary.
I bought this thinking that it would be like many of Romero's other zombie movies, you know, good.
If you want to see a good zombie movie like cloverfield you should watch Dawn of the Dead on one TV and Cloverfield on one next to it.
This was George Romero's first independent zombie movie for years.Whether that's a good or bad thing, you be the judge.Though this is the fifth in his zombie movie series, this actually takes place around the time of the zombie outbreak but set in modern times.George makes his point known about technology in this film and it is shows through the use of hand held cameras and the like.
Diary will definitely help fiction fans in that they will have plenty to write about in their own Diary world.Diary is a lot different that the previous dead films, Romero actually goes for less flesh eating and focuses on the story instead of the gore being the films only attraction like Land.
This has shown me the man has still got what it takes to make a great horror film.If I was to rank the films, Diary would come in right behind the original Dawn of the Dead, making it Romeros second best zombie movie ever.
Diary of the Dead (2008) ** 1/2 (out of 4) The fifth film in Romero's living dead series borrows The Blair Witch Project's idea of hand held cameras.
The film spends most of the time looking at the students and not the zombies, which could have worked but I thought Romero's screenplay was rather disappointing here.
But you can trust the man responsible for creating the modern zombie film to come back and make a great zombie movie; and in 2004, Romero did just that with Land of the Dead.
Overall, Diary of the Dead is one of the best of the modern zombie movies and proof that Romero still knows how to make a good horror film.
I'd recommend it only because it's Romero and no one else makes zombie movies like him.. |
tt1929263 | Heaven Is for Real | The movie opens in Lithuania, with a young girl starting to paint a portrait. The story then shifts to Imperial, Nebraska where Todd Burpo (Greg Kinnear) is installing a garage door for a warehouse. In addition to that job, Todd is also the high school wrestling coach, a volunteer firefighter, and the pastor of the local Wesleyan church. He is currently on medical leave from the church after breaking his leg in a softball game and suffering from numerous kidney stones. Despite their financial burdens, Todd's wife Sonja (Kelly Reilly) insists on taking a family trip to Denver with their children Cassie and Colton (Connor Corum, in his film debut). In Denver, they visit a butterfly and spider sanctuary, where Cassie holds a tarantula but Colton is too afraid. On the way home, both Cassie and Colton become sick. Days later, Cassie has recovered, but Colton's fever is still rising. They take him to the hospital, where the doctors tell Todd and Sonja that Colton's appendix has ruptured and needs emergency surgery. They also tell the Burpo's to prepare for the worst. While Colton is on the operating room table, Sonja is calling friends asking for prayer while Todd is in the hospital chapel. There, Todd yells at God for testing his faith by putting him through so much misery and accepting it, but trying to take his son is going too far. Later, after what the doctors describe as a miracle, Colton survives the operation and eventually makes a full recovery.Colton tells his dad that he is no longer afraid of anything and wants to hold that spider, so Todd and Colton return to Denver just to do that. Afterwards, they are at a playground and Todd asks Colton what changed his mind about the spider. This is where Colton first reveals that he went to Heaven and met Jesus. Colton says that he left his body during the operation, saw his parents in the two different rooms, and went to the church. He entered it and saw the entrance to Heaven. Jesus then comes along side of Colton and they enter Heaven to the sights and sounds of angels singing. Todd is stunned by what he hears, and upon returning home tells Sonja what he said. They go to Colton and ask him if he is sure it was Heaven and Jesus he saw. Colton says yes, and begins to describe aspects of Heaven that are scripturally accurate, such as the multi-colored horse that Jesus will ride on the day of His return, and the wounds on Jesus' hands and feet. He also told Colton that everything will be alright and he has nothing to be afraid of anymore. Colton then says the pictures of Jesus they have in their home don't look like him.Now back at work as a pastor, Todd reveals to the congregation what Colton told him, and soon word spreads throughout the town about Colton's trip to Heaven. The family is even interviewed by the local newspaper. Some people in town are skeptical of his story, and Cassie is even picked on at school about it. She responds by punching out the two bullies who were making fun of Colton, which Todd later learns about but decides not to punish her. Meanwhile, Todd is having trouble accepting that his son went to Heaven, and seeks advice from his friends and even a psychologist as to alternate explanations. The psychologist gives a scientific explanation as to what happens when someone is about to die, and says that Colton was hallucinating. Sonja is also having trouble accepting what Colton says. She believes that he is combining several different stories he has heard throughout his life. At this time the church board has a meeting with Todd, led by the church organist Nancy (Margo Martindale) and church elder and Todd's best friend Jim (Thomas Haden Church). They tell him that Colton's story could split the church and they can't have that. His job could also be in jeopardy if the split happens.After attending the funeral of a local man who died in a fire, Colton tells his dad that he met Pop, Todd's grandfather. Back at home, Todd pulls out a picture of Pop as an old man. Colton says that's not who he saw. Nobody in Heaven is old or wears glasses. Todd then finds a older picture of Pop as a young man without glasses, and Colton says that is the man he saw. Since Colton had never seen a picture of Pop, Todd starts to finally believe that Colton was not hallucinating what he saw. Later, Colton tells Sonja that he met his other sister in Heaven, the one that Sonja miscarried years ago. He described her as looking just like Cassie, but a little shorter and having her mom's hair color. Since neither Sonja nor Todd ever told Colton about her miscarriage, they are now convinced that he did indeed go to Heaven.By this time, Colton's story is becoming national news, and Todd is ambushed by a phone call from a radio station asking him on the air if Colton's story is true. Todd responds by saying that anyone who wants to know should come to their church next Sunday. But before that happens, Todd goes to the cemetery to place flowers at a grave site. It's the grave of Nancy's son who was killed in Afghanistan several years ago. Nancy sees Todd at the cemetery and they have a talk. She tells Todd that she is turning into the bitter woman she vowed never to become and is not mad at Todd, but at God for allowing his son to live and her son to die. Todd tells her that God does not love him any more than He loves her and there is a reason that God allowed Colton to return. Nancy and Todd then embrace and she implies that his job is safe.That Sunday, in front of a packed house, Todd tells what the family has gone through since the operation. With the congregation nearly in tears, he proclaims that he truly believes that his son went to Heaven. Sonja then gets up and hugs Todd, followed by their kids and then the entire congregation. The final scenes show the Burpo's at home. Todd is watching a news report about a girl on the other side of the world who had a similar experience to Colton. This is the young Lithuanian girl from the beginning of the movie, and she painted a portrait of Jesus that doesn't look like any other picture of Him. Colton sees the painting and his jaw drops. He tells his dad that painting is of the Jesus he saw in Heaven.The movie then ends with title cards saying that Todd is still the pastor of the church in Nebraska, the Burpo's have had another son, and Colton is now a teenager, but Cassie says he is no angel. | christian film | train | imdb | This movie does an excellent job of sharing important information about the very real issues that near death experiences (NDEs) bring up.
This one leaves it open to interpretation whether little 4-year-old Colton Burpo actually experienced a trip to heaven while he was unconscious on the operating table at death's doorstep with a burst appendix.The Burpos are presented as being among the nicest people you could ever hope to meet, and not in any "holier than thou" sense but as solid, down-to-Earth working folk, a kind, loving, and happy family.
He wears a work shirt and sits in the pews with the other congregants while the church service is doing other things, like Bible readings or singing led by Todd's wife Sonja.The skeptical attitude is clearly articulated by several different characters in the film, including Todd Burpo himself, who's obviously having trouble wrestling with and reacting to what his son has been saying about his brief sojourn in heaven.
And the conclusion is not some grand revelation or depiction of the "real" heaven but rather an informal sermon in which Todd (well played by Greg Kinnear) talks thru his uncertainties and tells his fellow congregants that "on Earth as it is in heaven" means that we should each value the little bit of heaven we share when we appreciate the people who love us.Frankly, an avowed humanist couldn't have put it much better.Still, there's the obvious fact that little Colton has been drenched in religion for almost his entire waking life, and that such total immersion surely accounts for everything he claims to have seen.
I loved this movie because i think it speaks to each and every one of us, to me it gives me hope that there is something wonderful out there besides the chaos of the world we live in, where all people do is fight, and cheat and lie and hate, where we steal from one another, kill one another etc.
"Heaven Is For Real" is a fantastic movie that people of all religions and walks of life will appreciate!
If you would like to see it for yourself – you have to watch the film.My favorite scene is right before the little boy gets sick.
As most of what we watch on television these days is fictitious anyways it shouldn't matter what the subject matter of the movie is as long as it is good.Now in the case of - 'Heaven Is for Real', I found the movie moving and very emotional.
And I don't say this because I'm an atheist or agnostic or something even remotely similar to a person who doesn't believe in God. I say this as a Christian who feels sick at the exasperating depths some sorry examples of filmmakers, writers, or other artists go to just to propagate their religious beliefs, and their incessant need to brainwash people into sharing their beliefs.What's even more stupefying is the fact that millions of Christians not only revel in this manipulative drivel, but also, somehow, feel that such gibberish actually serves to strengthen their faith (just check out the box-office numbers of "Heaven is for Real"); like you need a poor excuse of a film to make you believe in something you already claim to show steadfast solidarity to.I guess that as long as they are convinced that such inane and sensationalized pieces masquerading in the guise of art serve to brainwash others who don't share their faith, they'll keep choosing to not even apply an iota of basic common sense while viewing or reading such topics..
Kind of like when you know it's too good to be true, or when you start to watch a movie and it's just way too predictable.
The family and the church, despite their leanings towards the belief in the existence of heaven, start doubting the experience but their lives change in different ways due to the event.
Although this is an interesting story and has good performances, especially by Kinnear, the movie leaves you with a kind of so-what feeling.
They don't actually make us believe in the existence of heaven (or hell), but the good thing about the movie is that, they've kept an effort to show how the world would react when something extraordinary happens.
'HEAVEN IS FOR REAL': Two Stars (Out of Five) Drama film based on the best-selling 2010 Christian book of the same name (by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent) about a four-year-old boy who claims to have visited Heaven, when he had a near-death experience while having emergency surgery.
I've liked most of Wallace's work (and Kinnear's as well) but I didn't enjoy this movie much at all.Todd Burpo (Kinnear) was a financially struggling pastor, in a small town in Nebraska, when his four-year-old son Colton (Corum) nearly died in emergency surgery.
No one believes Colton's stories except his father but Todd is determined to 'spread the word'.I was raised catholic and am a very spiritual person; so I don't have any problems with religiously themed movies (when they're done right) but movies like this seem like they're mocking and patronizing churchgoers more than anything else.
I could even write a book about it, in collaboration with my wife, claiming that the boy magically learned Pokemon names without any coaching--despite the fact that I'm in the Pokemon business and the ubiquity of Pokemon merchandise around the house.Then we could make a movie about it, and tell all our friends who also work in the Pokemon field to give it 10/10 reviews on IMDb, merely for the fact that it propels Pokemon.All this, proving once again that miracles DO happen.
I was not disappointed, as director Randall Wallace tells a story that doesn't go over-the-top, yet still manages to capture the wondrous story of Colton Burpo and his family.For a basic plot summary (in case you haven't read the book!), "Heaven Is For Real" recounts the experiences of young Colton Burpo (Connor Corum), who has a near-death experience and claims to have see Heaven, Jesus, and many other experiences that a boy his age should not have known about relating to passed-away relatives and such.
Father Todd (Greg Kinnear) and mother Sonja (Kelly Reilly) don't know what to think: are these experiences real, or did they come from the adrenaline-fueled memories of a preachers son?Basically, if you enjoyed the book, I can't see why you wouldn't enjoy this film as well.
Besides feeling a bit rushed in the end, "Heaven Is For Real" didn't leave me feeling like I was missing any key pieces of the story.Of course, whether or not you believe in God and/or the Burpo's story is central to the emotional components of the film.
This is based upon a true story.At 4-yrs of age Colton Burpo (Connor Corum) has a near death experience and later claims to have been in Heaven, and saw Jesus, Angels and some family members.
That's s what Jesus looks like." Akiane is that young girl mentioned above and she is a real person (I looked her up on Wikipedia) who says she was told, by Jesus when she was 4-yrs of age, to continue her painting of images in Heaven.I found the acting performances to be okay, but gave slack to some because my focus was on what Colton saw and didn't care if some didn't give an Oscar Worthy performance.
Not only did he sometimes talk like an adult, at other times barely got the words out, but his nervous spastic ticks, and infantile smiles (was that supposed to be the smile of an enlightened one?) made me gag.The film ITSELF is doubtful of the child's claims to have seen Jesus and gone to heaven (he didn't even die) but without any further real evidence, chooses to say what the heck, if the kids says he went to heaven, he must have, because kids don't make up stories that good..The movie touches on the exact reasoning that would negate such claims.The fact that the child was the son of a minister, living in a deeply religious household.
The father, rather than have the kid pick out the grandfather's photo from a bunch of random photos (like a detective would) He practically shoves a photo of the grandfather in the kid's face and saying, "is that him, are you sure..?" About the same way overzealous social workers get kids to claim whole neighborhoods of satanic child abuse.Even if you accept that the kid saw things like his dad praying, or the operating table while undergoing surgery, it could be untapped ESP at best...no proof for visiting heaven.The main point of the movie as I saw it was that after all is said and done...it is a matter of faith...curiously, that is what religion has been about since the beginning of mankind, so after 2 hrs.
other than not believing the story being told in the movie the whole thing is just boring with bad acting and a bad script without any remarkable scene or dialog.
He disappears beautifully into the part of Pastor Todd Burpo, real-life father of the little boy who experienced heaven during an emergency operation.
The drama of how Faith and Love empower the human spirit was inspirational, and I left the theater feeling better than when I entered.The young actor who played Todd's son, Colton Burpo, was absolutely perfect in the portrayal of the awesomeness of his experience combined with the everyday desires of a four- year-old.
Come on producers, writers and directors, if you have the faith to make the movie, do it right and tell people that the Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life; NO ONE comes to the Father (who is in Heaven), except through Jesus (John 14:6).
if you haven't watched this movie yet think about how you think how heaven would look like and compare it with this kid and you will know what I'm talking about ....
At the end of the day, the director made a poor movie with a great concept, but I would read the book after learning about this unique experience from such a little child.
Having just watched the movie Heaven is for Real I find it to be so true and accurate !
His parents Preacher Todd Burpo(Greg Kinear) and Sonja(Kelly Reilly) are not sure what to believe.Next to Son of God, this is the best film of 2014.
This does not feel like a film, it feels like i'm watching something in real time, and the actors are the real people, cause this is based on a true story.
People are free to take from that story whatever they feel is believable or necessary.Every character comes across as real, not like other high sap faith based "goody-two-shoes" films.
I actually like true to life stories in movies vs.
Based on the bestselling book by Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent and adapted for the screen by Wallace and Chris Parker, the film dramatizes the near-death experience of then four-year-old Colton (Conner Corum) during surgery for a ruptured appendix as told to his father Todd (Greg Kinnear), a local pastor and volunteer fireman in rural Nebraska.According to young Colton, during his surgery he could look down and see his body on the operating table, see his father venting his anger at God in an adjacent room and his mother Sonja (Kelly Reilly) talking on the phone.
More surprisingly, Colton says that he met his grandfather whom he identified from an old picture and a second sister who died in a miscarriage many years ago even though he had never been told about her.Todd, who had a rough year, fracturing his leg playing baseball, enduring a bout of kidney stones, and struggling to make ends meet financially, is uncertain how to deal with his son's story and the family's reaction captures the fear and confusion that many adults have when children know or see more than we think they should.
Unfamiliar with children's near-death experiences, he does some research on the Internet and visits a psychology professor at the university (Nancy Sorel), but she offers little insight.While Heaven is for Real can be moving and strives to maintain a balance, it is too simplistic in its depiction of a powerful and mysterious experience as just another feel-good story that reinforces Christian beliefs.
Similarly, Corum is very convincing and rarely awkward as the little boy with the unusual story.While it is definitely told from a Christian point of view, to its credit, the film's focus is less on religion than on the effect of Colton's NDE on the community and the bond between father and son.
Man is the great abyss." Henri Frederic AmielHeaven Is for Real is the real-life experience of a 4 year-old boy, Colton Burpo (Connor Corum), who had a near death experience that took him to Heaven and back by the time his operation for a ruptured appendix was complete and successful.
But at that, it's never strident--it happily includes a couple of outright agnostics challenging the reality of the unreal vision to keep it in line with the skepticism many have about extreme Christian claims.Heaven Is for Real does a credible job showing the intimate relationships of a small heartland town, never more alive than when it tumbles about with questions of faith, the good life, and death.
However its depictions of heaven as a light source with winged angels hovering about seems silly.The film's real limitation is not getting away from the small matters of familial life and actually grappling with the epistemological questions the boy's experience induces.
It took a little while for the movie to get to the main point of the story about the young boy who gets a chance of a life time and meets Jesus and God.However, once after that happens, the movie is great.
That was until his four-year-old Colton (Connor Corum)was stricken by infirmity.In the hospital chapel, Todd questions God's action, pleading to take him instead.Miraculously, Colton pulls through, but something about him is different.Confessing to have traveled to Heaven while under sedation, Colt recants for his family the folks he met there, including his great-grand father, his unborn sister, and Jesus Christ.
One kid may be a miracle in Heaven Is for Real.In a small town in Nebraska, a local Christian pastor Todd Burpo (played by Greg Kinnear) does his best to bring people back to his church to talk about the importance of faith in the worst of times.
Todd needs to consider what's better; that his son had a hallucination or whether he really just proved that there is an afterlife.When I went in to Heaven Is for Real, I thought that this was going to be another preachy, made- for-TV quality film that was made to please Christian audiences.
Speaking of exploration, I was hoping that more people like scientists, philosophers or other religious leaders would come in to explore their thoughts on a little boy seeing heaven.
Heaven Is for Real will get a lot of re screening as churches and will certainly find a family friendly audience, but if the movie was willing to take a risker look, then I would have liked this better.
Only time will tell if there will be more films about religion down the road.Based off the best selling novel of the same name, Heaven for Real is the true story of Colton Burpo who went through emergency surgery in 2003 and went on a magical journey through heaven during it.
You literally leave the theater knowing as much as you did coming in.Maybe this movie found its audience and I would think most religious people would like it but Heaven for Real is lousy beyond belief.
No matter what you or I think of the movie that doesn't change that there is still a family that you DO NOT KNOW, that do believe this happened.
A movie based on real life events of a sick boy who claims to have died and gone to heaven.If he was hindu he would have seen vishnu and if he was buddhist he would have seen buddha, but this just happens to be another story about a Christian who see Jesus.Blah blah blah....
It is like that in all movies that are based on true stories.
Just a heads up,I am in no way a religious person.I don't belong to a certain church,have any specific beliefs,or see any group as being superior to another.This is a movie review with my thoughts and opinions on this film and nothing more.ANYWAYS, Heaven is For Real is a movie based on the fascinating true story of the Burpo family.
Most everybody who has heard of this movie knows what the subject matter is: a young child has a near death experience, and later relates what he saw during this experience, which sounds like a description of heaven.
The little boy is the one that experiences that heaven is real because of a near death experience but I'm not going to tell you anymore about what they experience were if you want to know that you will have to watch the movie yourself.
Way to go Hollywood for releasing an amazing story of faith & Heaven from the innocence of a little boy who got a "glimpse" of life after death!
There are millions of Christians world-wide who believe in Heaven & audiences want to see more movies like this.
I am a Christian but still had some doubts, prior to reading the book, as to if this little boy had actually visited heaven or was just repeating some of the wonderful bible stories he's learned in Sunday school and of course a pastor as his dad.
Acting in "Heaven Is for Real" was nice, with Greg Kinnear doing a great job of portraying an everyday man, but Thomas Haden Church wasn't that good i think, i think i could see it in his eyes, he was screaming out loud "This is a Christian movie!". |
tt1935302 | Monsters: Dark Continent | Ten years after the events of the previous film, four closely knit friends from Detroit—Michael, Frankie, Inkelaar and new father Williams—are U.S. soldiers deployed to the Middle East for their first tour as they must deal with the monsters and a new insurgency on the rise. They meet their team leaders, Forrest and Frater. Frater, who has already gone through nine tours, has become estranged from his wife and daughter, who he says is afraid of him. On their first mission, they investigate a farm house and interrogate the owner. During the encounter, one of the gigantic monsters approaches the group and they are forced to gun it down. Three months into their tour, the team receives a search and rescue mission for four soldiers who have gone missing along a particularly active area.
During a drive, the team's convoy hits a hidden IED which disables both vehicles, killing Forrest and two of their team. Williams, disoriented by the explosion, wanders onto another IED, which detonates, blowing his legs off. The group is then set under fire by insurgents. Rushing Williams to safety, Inkelaar is unable to stabilise Williams, who dies shortly after. Forced to abandon his body, the four remaining escape on foot. After finding another shelter and while recovering from what has happened, Inkelaar is killed by a sniper while Frankie is wounded before a group of insurgents surrounds them. Frater leads the others into surrendering. After being captured, Michael and Frater are bound and forced to watch as Frankie bleeds to death in front of them. That night, Frater uses the distraction of an approaching monster to disarm and kill one of their guards, and the two of them escape on motorcycles, determined to finish their mission.
After the bikes run out of gas, they continue eastward until they encounter a destroyed school bus. As Frater searches for water, Michael encounters a boy still alive. They briefly debate euthanising him until they are rescued by locals, who feed them and give them water in gratitude for saving the boy's life. Michael wanders off with one of the women, and they witness one of the monsters spreading luminescent spores through the night time desert around them, while Frater visits the boy who succumbs to his injuries. Frustrated at their failure to save the boy, Frater angrily reminds Michael of their mission, and the two continue east toward a settlement their men would have gone to. However, they discover there that the soldiers they were meant to rescue had all been killed prior to their arrival. Now enraged by the futility of their mission and the lives lost, Frater snaps and kills one of the villagers. Michael is forced to shoot him to keep him from killing the rest of the family.
Violent tremors prompt Frater to wander out of the village as Michael follows him to their extraction point. As an enormous monster emerges from the sands in front of them, Frater collapses and dies from his injury. The evac helicopter comes in and picks up Michael, who looks on in silence as the screen cuts to black. | anti war, revenge, suspenseful, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | Now that I've watched it, I can't stress how much of a disappointment it was.MONSTERS: DARK CONTINENT is NOT a Sci-Fi / Horror movie.
To bad they were overwhelmingly used as backdrop props, looking like a herd of buffalo at times.I'll never understand why this wasn't just strictly a war movie.
It could have been an above average war movie if the money spent on the monster effects had been used for a bigger war setting or better actors.
There was just no need for monsters to be roaming in the background of a war movie, never really posing any threat to the characters.
I remember only vaguely the first Monsters movie and my review from back then said that I liked it a lot.
The story is about a group of kids from Detroit who join the army, go in some Arabic desert and fight both monsters and insurgents.The big big problem with this film is the length.
I am being a bit mean.I guess the message was that monsters are everywhere, from the people setting a dog on a little alien forcing it to defend itself and kill the dog, to the American forces mindlessly killing civilians, from the Arab insurgents who kill soldiers, to the maddened soldier who needs to kill everybody that even looks like an enemy.
As usual, the alien monsters are just minding their own peaceful business.Bottom line: the movie failed in a number of ways: bad character exposition, pointless length, stupid soldiering, a plot that has no need of the aliens.
What a load of pretentious, art w*nk nonsense this film really is.It's bad enough that the story is paper thin and the characters are as unlikeable as an upset stomach (one minute gangsta tough, the next screaming like babies) but the direction is shocking.It's like a frustrated art student trying out every possible style of image capture.
Long shots, close shots, lens flare, angled, shaky cam, slow mo and none of them working.One pointless scene of a helicopter taking off showed it's ascent from at least 10 different angles - outside looking up, inside looking out, inside looking inside, outside different angle etc etc.Every character must have had at least two shots of them silent screaming from the Dummies Guide to filming internal angst.Things aren't explained, geography is not established and you can almost feel the makers telegraphing their contempt to the audience that 'if you don't get this, you're too stupid'.It's not engaging, thought provoking or entertaining.
This was really just an anti-war movie and I think there was a message in there about the middle-east conflict but I couldn't be sure because there were so many confusing themes happening at the same time.
With regards this film specifically - what the main characters go through mentally could easily be mirrored by actual soldiers overseas today but the fact that the main enemy is not of this world, puts a different and interesting perspective on war.
The movie is called Monsters, but similar to the first, the monsters have so little to do with the story, even more so in the second than the first.It's all about male bonding during military time as a platoon of boys from the same hood in Detroit go to war together in the Middle East.The picture moves quickly, never a dull moment, very kinetic movement.
Very good cinematography.Visual effects were decent as well.Total exploitation of war that ads a sci-fi fantasy elements with the monsters, used only as a backdrop no different than the dessert the movie takes place in.Overall, I like the movie, despite how little the monsters have to do with the story at all.
But before we talk about whether the sequel really qualifies as a reward, let's set the stage for the second film by taking a quick look back at the first.The story of the original "Monsters" has NASA bringing samples of possible living organisms back from one of Jupiter's moons, only to inadvertently introduce Earth to a new species that is larger and deadlier than anything currently on the planet.
The sequel picks up about ten years after the first film ends and has all new characters in a completely different setting and with a very different plot.The production schedule for "Godzilla" prevented Edwards from directing "Monsters: Dark Continent" (although he did serve as Executive Producer) and the sequel's writers, Jay Basu and Tom Green (the latter making his directorial debut with this film), made the sequel about the soldiers who are fighting the monsters.
As in the original film, the follow-up is mostly a story of human survival, with the monsters practically fading into the background (a point that some praise, but many criticize).
This film is a combination of "The Hurt Locker", "Saving Private Ryan", "Platoon" and "Starship Troopers", but with much more intensity."Monsters: Dark Continent" delivers in terms of the emotions experienced by soldiers in high-stress situations, but that's all it does.
(Oh, the tragedy of wasted monster potential.) Even though I don't feel like I got what I paid for, I was impressed with the performances of the actors playing soldiers, but that wasn't enough for me
or maybe it was too much.
The beauty of the original 2010 Monsters was its profound statement, Dark Continent satisfies the original naysayer's with action, and not much else.The initial 2010 film Monsters was a profound parable about humanity and its interactions with one another that used an 'alien invasion' as a mirror for this introspection.
When I saw the trailer, I was mortified of the bastardization of the beautiful film into Hollywood action drivel.With the scope of potential from its predecessor being a peak of perfection to the lows of my expectations of pure garbage, Monsters: Dark Continent falls somewhere in the middle but certainly closer to trash.
In truth, Dark Continent tries to be like its original in using the alien invasion to be an allegory for the war efforts in the middle east.
Back to the film It starts off with our "heroes" involved in a conflict with insurgents in the Middle East and spends the ENTIRE film as a war movie with the Monsters in the background.
Now I thought war movie in the context of he title Monsters
meant Alien vs.
I do not go into this film expecting to watch, wait for it a WAR MOVIE.
But the monsters had very little airtime, it looked like the creatures had other engagements and had no time to remains in this particular movie!.
However, this movie seemed more like a film about the Iraq war with the monsters as a very distant backdrop.
And at the end just when it looked like it was about to start getting good, it just ends, no answers, no decent plot, just 100% rubbish, save time and do not watch this....
Edwards managed to direct an entertaining sci-fi film using alien monsters as the background to tell the story of a journalist trying to escort an American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico back to the US.
It tries to follow a similar premise as the original film by being an allegory of sorts, this time about American intervention in the Middle East and it too leaves the monsters as an afterthought.
This is where the real fight begins for the new recruits.I can't complain about the aliens being simply a background for this clichéd anti-war film because it was the same thing in the first movie, but Dark Continent doesn't even take its time to develop interesting characters.
If you enjoyed MONSTERS don't watch this film, because this is a serious tragic war movie.
Is it the soldiers performing the mission regardless of the consequences, is it the insurgent people who rebel against the foreign invaders (I'll let you decide who the actual invaders are), or is the benign octo-beast roaming the desert?I can expand upon this premise more, but I would refer you to too slight different review which pretty much sum up the rest of my points:"good flick" - 9/10 - Author: >Hschuntermann< from United States - 16 March 2015"The real monster is inside" - 6/10 - Author: >siderite< from Romania - 16 March 2015I would heed >Hschuntermann's< advice and forgo reading too many reviews, as it may sway what you might get out of this movie.
If you're looking for a movie that makes you think about what or who the real monsters are within our lives, then I would highly recommend both films
but if you're looking for a gun-ho, mindless, movie about killing aliens, then might I recommend Starship Troopers.
While the film was a little overlong (it got a bit navel-gazey in places, especially toward the end), it mostly had me gripped for its entire running time: the action was visceral (the dogfight, for example), there was an almost-constant feeling of tension and the special effects were breathtaking: the monsters have had some serious creature design done on them, introducing the young and some (I think) subspecies.
Every time they appeared on screen I was captivated by their depiction: of course, their appearance at the Bedouin camp was the highlight of the film along, I suppose, with the tantalising half-reveal at the end.The performances from a not well-known troupe of actors were excellent, especially from Sam Keeley as Parkes, Nicholas Pinnock as Forrest (even if his character was a bit Underused) and Johnny Harris as Frater.
I wasn't overly keen on Gareth Edwards 2010 sci-fi indie film MONSTERS down to the fact that it was marketed as science fiction featuring an alien invasion when the main bulk of the story revolved around what was a back packing romance .
With this sequel director and co-writer Tom Green goes one better and makes an out and out war film set in the Middle East where the aliens are peripheral As stated I wasn't impressed with the original and was rather puzzled with the high praise it received from many quarters .
If you're expecting something in the way of WAR OF THE WORLDS then fair enough and despite being a different genre in that a sappy love story becomes a hard hitting war film MONSTERS DARK CONTINENT at least has the stylistic look and feel that it is a spin off from the 2010 film Apart from having alien monsters in the background it doesn't do a lot different from what you might expect from a straight war movie .
That said for a relatively low budget independent film the action scenes are handled well and might have been very impressive as a straight forward war movie.
After seeing the original Monsters movie, I thought the sequel would be at least a little, tiny, itsy bitsy bit like the original,its not.
It is the world's most boring US v Middle East War movie and they pointless plot goes on and on and on with uninteresting people doing uninteresting things that you couldn't possibly care less about,all while they mixed in about 40 seconds of total screen time for the monsters.
This movie is a brilliant and original allegory of what is monstrous in human nature when it's unbound against what others describe as monstrosity.An invasion on a country and continent westerns do not fully understand described in so many levels that you can read from almost every scene not only the cruelty of war but also the price it requires from it's participants.Who or what is the invader ?
This was a great sequel to Monsters in my opinion...and I read a review that said they were disappointed because they felt it was boring and had less to do with the monsters; but the whole thing was that it was years later and I think they were trying to point out how having these things in our world would impact us as a culture.
Having to fight creatures AND each other because we are fighting the creatures in foreign territories...in war torn countries, in countries like Iraq or Afghanistan...I mean, it makes sense to make a sequel that focuses on the impact the monsters being in the world has on the people.
I mean, is it a war story, a drama, an existential trip about our place in the universe, a horror, a sci-fi, a monster movie, or a commentary about our country's involvement in every other country that we aren't suppose to be in?
I hit the fast-forward button because I decided that I didn't need the 5 minutes of (pun intended) EFFing exposition from the human apes against the wall and was even more disappointed by the fact that it wasn't a monster hunting movie it was just a long long long boring slow film about the mental trials of war.i think apocalypse now did it better and they had a whole scene wear our "heroes" payed to screw heroine addict porn stars.but it wasn't a fan service moment.
First the good -- excellent monster special effects.Now the bad -- everything else.The movie is filled with pointless denigration of the soldiers.
You should watch the movie if you like war drama movies with a bit of Sci-Fi,because we all fight a monster in our lives but the scariest one.
I watched this movie expecting monsters galore and soldiers all up in arms trying to stop them.
I saw the first MONSTERS movie, and then saw that there was a sequel, watched the trailer, which looked like it would have more aliens.
The aliens just cause saw awe struck looks from a few of the characters a few time, but like I said 97% war movie, with realistic battle wounds.
The movie stars Johnny Harris, Sam Keeley and Joe Dempsie.Like the first film, the monsters/'alien invasion' plot line serves more as a backdrop to the actual story.
The monsters are the best part of the movie, and some of the scenes (involving them) are truly breathtaking and beautiful (just like the first film).
All I got from the film was that war is bad, innocents die and the US military cannot control monsters or Jihadist in the Middle East.
This is a slow movie, with a lot more drama than there actually is action, but the level of action and violence that is shown brings out the true realism of the conflict ( yes I said realism even though it's a world that has huge giant monsters ) and you can see the after effects on our main protagonists.
It is a war movie with many human monsters, a few special effect monsters thrown in to pretend it is sci-fi/horror and unlikable characters (at least for me).
All in I never got to the end of the film as it was so bad what could have been a good story and survival war movie was lost in the plot of this film.
I liked this movie.In my years of watching films, I learned to understand what a director has in his horizon in terms of budget restrictions, ambition and risk taking.
This movie will do it again by the end, as will do with the protagonist and his struggle.If you expect to see massive city wrecking and large scale battles like War of the Worlds, look elsewhere.
I'm a huge fan of Starship Troopers but for me movies like Monsters: Dark Continent is what science fiction is really all about.
Like in the first film things look good and acting isn't too offensive, but you still hardly see any monsters and it's still dull.
Unfortunately, the sequel, Monsters: Dark Continent, ignores all the pros from its predecessor to punish us with a boring war film which takes the concept of the monsters as a distant and inconsequential background of the exaggerated drama developed between a group of absolutely anonymous and antipathetic soldiers.
This is not a movie about monsters and if you expect to watch another huge monsters action adventure you'll be disappointed.The USA Army fights the monsters in some Middle East country without avoiding to kill or destroy the lives of innocent locals.
A good film for someone who wants to watch a "monster" movie with a second level of interpretation.
Did Monsters get in the way of your war movie?.
They honestly felt like they were getting in the way of the war film!There was very little interaction with the Monsters and 99% of the movie was between the army lads.
(2/10) Settings: Monsters: Dark Continent brings the action to the Middle East but never explains why it ends up there.
Post Credits Scene: NoOscar Chances: No Runtime: 1 Hour 59 Minutes Trivia: The main actor from the first Monsters movie Scott McNairy is signed on as an Executive Producer for Monsters:Dark Continent.Overall: Very disappoint sequel to one of the best low budget films of recent years.
I was getting fed up with the war and wanted more of the Monsters but disappointingly, I had to see through gun fire, screaming and nonsense.The title really has nothing to do with the movie.Waste of time unless you like war films, people firing guns at each other and a story line which to me didn't make much sense..
There seems to be a different kind of monsters in this one, and they don't really explain it at all.This is made out to be mostly a war movie.
Whatever your views on the violence in the middle east is, I feel this movie is not a war movie or a Sci-fi, but a human story with a different point of view..
Monsters: Dark Continent feels more of a sequel to a different alien film than Gareth Edwards first outing.The effects are great, especially the larger Monsters when on display.
At the end of the movie, the quote from the beginning gets a whole different meaning."Put a bullet in a monster, that was supposed to be our war, but you better know your enemy".
An introduction at the beginning made it clear this was a war film, rather than a road movie like the first, and they weren't wrong. |
tt0235198 | Ôdishon | Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), a middle-aged widower who lost his wife to an illness seven years prior, is urged by his 17-year-old son, Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki), to begin dating women again. Shigehiko is somewhat doubtful of his father's love life, but plans to move out when he finishes school and does not want his father to be alone. Aoyama's friend and colleague, Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura), a film producer, devises a plan to hold a mock-audition, in which young, beautiful women would audition for the "part" of Aoyama's new wife, under the impression that they are auditioning for a new film, but actually so Aoyama can marry one of the finalist contestants.Aoyama is immediately enchanted by Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina), a 24-year-old woman with a soft voice and reserved, yet confident, mannerisms. In her audition, Asami says that she was once a ballerina headed for greatness, but had to give up dancing after an injury. Aoyama, still reeling from the death of his wife, is attracted to her apparent emotional depth.Yoshikawa warns him about Asami, saying that he has a bad feeling about her. None of the references on her résumé were able to be reached and her job history is shaky. The music producer she claimed to work for had gone missing. Unfortunately, Aoyama is so enthralled by her inner and outer beauty that he is blinded by his feelings for her.She lives in an empty apartment, furnished only with a sack and a telephone. Four days following the audition, she sits perfectly still in the middle of the floor next to the telephone, waiting for it to ring. When it finally does, the sack lurches across the room and makes gurgling sounds. She ignores it as she waits a few rings before answering.When Asami answers the phone, she confesses to Aoyama that she never expected him to call. After several dates, she agrees to accompany him to a seaside hotel. Once at the hotel, Asami tells Aoyama about the abuse she suffered as a child and shows him the burn scars on her body. Asami asks Aoyama to love only her. Aoyama promises to do so and they make love.The next morning, Aoyama is awakened by a telephone call; it is the front desk wondering if, since his companion left, he too would be checking out. He realizes Asami is nowhere to be found. Using her résumé, Aoyama searches in vain for her.Aoyama visits the old ballet studio where Asami claimed to have trained for 12 years. He finds that the studio is now inhabited only by a disabled old man in a wheelchair with artificial feet. It is revealed that the man caused the burn scars on Asami's legs.Then he goes to the bar where Asami used to work and someone tells him that it has been closed for a year because the woman who was in charge, the wife of a record producer, was found dismembered. When the police put her body back together, they found 3 extra fingers, an extra ear, and an extra tongue.Asami goes to Aoyama's house during his search. Once there, she finds a photo of his dead wife. Enraged, she slips a sedative in his drink and hides. Aoyama comes home, has a drink and faints. The movie cuts to a sequence about Asami's past and present. In one scene, The contents of the sack are revealed to be a man missing both feet, his tongue, one ear and three fingers on one hand. He crawls out of the sack and begs for food. Asami vomits into a dog dish and places it on the floor for the man. The man sticks his face in the bowl of vomit, and hungrily consumes it.A while later, Asami returns to the drugged and paralyzed Aoyama. As she walks into the room, the audience sees the twisted body of Aoyama's pet dog. She proceeds to inject Aoyama with an agent that paralyzes his body, but keeps his nerves alert. She then tortures him with needles in his abdomen and under his eyes. As she is torturing him, she tells him he is just like everyone else in not being able to love only her. She talks about how he has many whom he loves in his life, mainly his son. She says that she has only him and that this is not acceptable, because then he will never be completely hers. Her torture of him, she explains, is to teach him the meaning of needing someone. She tells him that, "words cause lies, pain can be trusted." She then cuts off his left foot with a wire saw.While Asami begins to cut off his other foot, she is surprised by Aoyama's son returning home. She hides and prepares to attack him. He discovers his father on the floor, turns, and is surprised by Asami. Suddenly Aoyama has a dream that he is waking up and that the past events have been a dream, to just after he and Asami had made love for the first time. She says that she accepts his marriage proposal, despite him never actually proposing, and says that she is the heroine of his life. He awakes from this dream to see his son swing around and Asami fail to disable him. Shigehiko runs up a flight of stairs to escape her and she follows him, he kicks her down the stairs, breaking her neck. Aoyama tells his son to call the police. As Aoyama lies in agony on the floor, he continues to stare at the dying figure of Asami on the floor, her neck is broken in a way that she is facing him. She mutters things that she had told him earlier about waiting for his call, and being excited to see him again. He is overcome with sadness as he remembers his answer to her in his dream sequence about her abuse, that "It's hard to forget about...but someday you'll feel...that life is wonderful." | cruelty, murder, cult, violence, flashback, psychedelic, suspenseful, sadist | train | imdb | Art-house horror flicks are not a very common genre (few come to mind except 'Don't Look Now') but Takashi Miike's film 'Audition' is a welcome addition to the canon.
The early stages of this film resemble a work by Claude Sautet, only seen through a Japanese sensibility, about the relationship between an older man and a beautiful young woman, but there's something slightly discomforting both in the man's definition of the perfect partner, and in the person he finds who fulfills it.
The result is utterly beguiling, and one can even see similarities with Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' in 'Audition's' portrayal of a man's complicit relationship with hell.In some ways, this is not a universal film and I could not imagine it working in English: can you envisage any Western actress speaking the Eihi Shiina's lines with a straight face?.
But this is the director's fault; when you set out to shock your audience as much as Takashi Miike does in this film, you can't blame the audience if all they remember about your film is the shocking part.Which is a shame, because "Audition" is quite a bit more than a mere horror movie.
In fact, in structure and tone, this film reminded me of Lynch's "Mulholland Drive," and if Lynch didn't have his own unique style and brand of film-making, I might wonder if he was inspired in part by this film when he made his own.What other comments here have done nicely is summarize what "Audition" is "about." A man (Shigeharu Aoyama) mourning the loss of his wife looks to find the perfect woman to replace her, and he holds bogus auditions for an ostensible film role in order to find her.
This dilutes the violence of the film's final moments, because there is a strong suggestion that this violence is taking place in the protagonist's nightmares.Is "Audition" a critique of the confined roles women are forced to inhabit in Japanese society?
Takashi Miike's "Audition" has to be one of the best Japanese horror movies I have ever seen.Ryo Ishibashi plays Shigeharu Aoyama,a lonely middle-aged man.After many years of being loyal to his deceased wife is the right time to begin dating again.His friend Yasuhisa decides to set up a fake casting audition in hopes that his friend can find new wife.Aoyama then goes through countless portfolio's looking for women to audition,but as soon as he sees the beautiful Asami's picture he knows that she is the one.Soon they begin dating.Everything seems perfect at first,but is Asami all that she seems?"Audition" isn't as violent and outrageous as "Fudoh" or "Ichi the Killer",but it certainly delivers some of the most harrowing scenes of violence ever captured on screen.The film is atmospheric and artistic,so if you're looking only for gore and violence avoid this one like the plague.However if you're a fan of Miike's works this masterpiece is not to be missed.10 out of 10..
Personally you wouldn't mind a fair portion of violence and chills, but you suspect and worry that the other half prefers a slow and story-driven film with the emphasis on character development.
Aoyama's life subsequently turns into a psychological nightmare, yet the film's main strongpoint is how Miiki never fully reveals whether this girl is a lethal psychopath out for vengeance against the entire male race or that all the horror exclusively spawns from the protagonist's guilt and paranoid mindset.
At several moments during the first hour of the film, when the relationship between the two lead characters laboriously develops, you really wonder yourself how such a sober and melodramatic love story could possibly transgress into a reputedly shocking horror film, but it does!
There are a few brutal images and scenarios, but they arrive primarily towards the end of the film, and they tend to be more conceptually disturbing than graphically violent.Audition is the story of Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi), who is living alone with his son, Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki), after his wife, Ryoko (Miyuki Matsuda), passes away.
Audition explores Asami's story and her relationship to Shigehiko.It's a good hour, at least, before anything very out of the ordinary happens in the film, and even when that time does arrive, the strange occurrences are extremely subtle at first.
That's because so far, every Miike film I've seen has a completely different style (the other two I've watched to date are Ichi the Killer (Koroshiya 1) and Happiness of the Katakuris (Katakuri-ke no kôfuku), both from 2001).But as a realist drama that ventures into romance and slight mystery/thriller territory during its first half, Audition is a fine piece of art--you just have to know what to expect.
We view quite a few scenes from a distance--the camera is sometimes even placed in a room adjacent to the main action; there is a great hand-held tracking shot following Shigeharu and Yasuhisha through their office from behind partitions ala James Whale's Frankenstein (1931); an important "repeated scene" in a restaurant that gives us another psychological angle, with significantly altered dialogue, is shot at a distance; in the dénouement, another repeated dialogue scene with shifted meaning is shot from another room, and so on.Of course, the main attraction for most folks, at least in my part of the world, is the more mysterious and visceral material that enters in the second half, as the majority of Miike fans tend to be horror fans.
For awhile, Miike, Murakami and scriptwriter Daisuke Tengan (whom Miike amusingly says must have "been on drugs" when he wrote Audition, because the script was so weird--he implies that he tried to "normalize" it a bit) play with audience expectations as Audition threatens to become a more standard relationship thriller, then a ghost story, then a rubber reality film (all of these things are implied in turn during one of the best extended sequences of the film), and finally, we realize that it's more about a psychotic villain.
"Audition" is a great horror movie with a creepy, disturbing and even realistic story but with less violence, weirdness and gore than the usual, for a movie directed by the Japanese director Takashi Miike.
It is in fact closer to the more extreme moments of David Cronenberg, and the profoundly disturbing movies of Jorg Buttgereit, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Gaspar Noe. Directed with great flair by Takashi Miike, and based on a novel by the amazing Ryu Murakami ('Almost Transparent Blue' and 'Coin Locker Babies'), 'Odishon' wipes the floor with Hollywood's recent output of supposedly "confronting" movies ('American Psycho', 'Boy's Don't Cry', 'Requiem For A Dream') and by-the-numbers serial killer thrillers ('Hannibal', 'Kiss The Girls', 'The Cell',etc.).
Forget those safe, mediocre bores THIS is the real deal!Miike lulls you into a false sense of security with his leisurely storytelling and quiet character development, which makes the pay off of the last part of the movie even more shocking and unexpected.
Movies like Scream, I Know What you Did Last Summer, and their teenage-pheremone-reeking ilk have absolutely no right to call themselves "horror movies" when we have a film like Audition to watch.This movie starts out very slowly, very sweetly, and builds to a fantastic gruesome climax that you don't see coming.
The acting greatly outclasses both the story and the directing, and is the only thing that keeps a movie that could (and should!) have been told in a 15 minute independent film from becoming tedious and unwatchable.In the movie's defense, I can see how it might appeal to people who liked, perhaps, "Raye makhfi" or similar movies, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting, especially after having read many rave reviews of this "horror movie." Unfortunately, it tries to be too many things to too many people, and ultimately fails at them all..
Asian horror has the same elements of suspense and tension as American, but the way they build a story is different, so you usually don't know what to expect in these films.
Nearing the end of a film, you go from a slow paced movie to frantic, non-linear montage with some shock horror elements, the only real "scary" moments in the movie.
I saw this movie recently based on the recommendation of a few friends and several online sites ranking it one of the most frightening and disturbing films of all time.
The pacing of the film is all wrong and serves to bore the audience into a stupor for over an hour just so it can shock them with 20 minutes of gore at the end.
"Audition" would also benefit greatly from being from a re-cut to make it shorter, tighter and quicker paced.If you are looking for a shocking and disturbing experience there are literally hundreds of better films to choose from.
Then, in the second half, there is a scene of shocking violence that goes on forever and plays like you are watching a well photographed snuff film.
Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) lost his wife Ryoko (Miyuki Matsuda) seven years ago, and his son Shigehiko (Tetsu Sawaki) suggests that he is looking old, and should remarry.His friend Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura) suggests they hold an audition to find someone that meets his qualifications.As soon as he read the resume for Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina - Tokyo Gore Police), he knew she was the one.He starts seeing her, and one day she disappears.
But before that happens, what could be called a mind-f***er occurs through Miike going through what could be either a dream, a hallucination, or both, which leads up to that scene in Aoyama's house.3/4 of the film moves along with something of a convention in the center of it- a girl who the protagonist falls for (er, SHE is the heroine of the story, so to speak, as she later says) who might not really be right for her, even as he can't sense it.
These scenes are done full-force through the more particular choices given earlier in the film with lighting and editing, and it's a fine contrast between those brief, shocking moments, and then the real horror that befalls when the style goes back to 'normal' as it were.
Even worse, one unnecessarily drawn out scene towards the end actually started to make me feel a little queasy (and I'm usually indifferent to violence), perhaps not solely because of what was happening on screen but also because it was the point where I realised what Odishon was all about.To the movie's credit, the acting was quite good and overall I thought it was filmed well.
On the plus side, Odishon generally avoids horror film clichés although it has the unfair advantage of a lack of action.So, in summary, Odishon is basically an hour and a half of a well acted but dull romance movie followed by half an hour of drawn out violence for the sake of violence.
I've literally seen more graphic violence in Star Wars, rated PG.As long as brainless people acclaim brainless movies like this just because they're Japanese, true horror isn't made.
Touted as "one of the most controversial films of all time" by RadioTimes, i was expecting tension and shocks; big things which ultimately Audition fails to deliver.Lots of people talk of the final third of the film and how fantastically clever it is, but these people fail to recall how poor the rest of the film is.
Then towards the end the whole story takes a turn, when you find out the woman is a psycho, it surprises you that what makes a superb horror movie.
The point where you see her torturing her victims that's when you see her true evil side that makes her an new wave of psycho villains.The sweet innocent looking insane women villainsIn conclusion, this film is a very unique style of horror genre that put Japanese horror directors on the Hollywood map..
I even found myself repeating "It's only a movie, it's only a movie." Towards the end.The film drags a bit at the start, but stick with it, the audition process can only be described as a great bit of cinema, and is throughly entertaining to watch.
I'd like to think they actually happened myself but you will have to make up your own mind upon seeing the movie.It's well acted and beautifully filmed 'Audition' has earned a place in my heart as being one of the great Japanese films of our time.
This is easily Takashi Miike's best, and most unsettling, film to date, and he does it (mostly) without all the 'goo' he's normally associated with.An aging business man decides (after some prodding from his son) that he should start looking at re-marrying.
Being a middle-aged business man makes it hard for him to simply go out and meet girls, so his friend (a film producer) comes up with the idea of holding an audition for a quasi-real movie that he can use to meet some women.
By the time all surrealistic hell breaks loose the movie has you and won't let go.For a character driven piece like this, even Miike's direction couldn't have saved it if the writing and acting weren't up to par.
The girl is much the same way in generating mixed emotions; she is unnerving and just 'not right', but she seems so sweet and innocent that you really want the two of them to end up happy.For want of not making this sound like some melodrama, read this; I have never heard two grown men scream so loudly watching a movie.
was really painful.First of all the movie is paced so slowly that it kinds of puts off track and then last 30 minutes just blows you off, with a last few scenes taking the cake.I don't think any other remake from any language would make the same kind of impact this movie did.A serious art house horror flick with decent acting from all of them.I give this one a 9/10 just for sheer crazy ending it provided...............
As the story begins to unfold, and you expect the film to do justice to its horror category, it falls flat on its bloody face and ventures into a near stomach-turning half-assed sado-orgy.
Japanese horror tends to generally start off with a decent-sounding plot, but by the middle or end of the movie, it all falls apart and just ends up making no sense.
Audition is no different.Other than a disturbing scene towards the end, this movie isn't even horror.
It's like there were some leftover violent scenes from another movie and they were pasted in.Add a clichéd ending and you have this complete load of junk.Is this a reflection of the weird side of Japanese psyche?
i never thought of any horror movies could be created like this brilliant Japanese film.i was obliged to changed my mind about Japanese movies.at first the story begins very simply.a widower arrange a fake audition with his producer friend to get a new wife for him.
she has brutal past that changed her mind..........the end of the movie is horrifying.all characters act nicely, especially, i want to mention eihi shiina(asami),she plays as a brilliant actress in this movie.welcome her to the world cinema!another characters are good as parts of this filmand i want to give a lot of thanks to Mr.takashi miike to direct such a nice psychological horror movie for us.well, this movie is not for all audiences.i would like to rate this movie: 10 out of 10..
It's just a vignette about a lonely widower who makes the mistake of falling in love with a macabre and sadistic woman and pays the price for it.Heck, I wouldn't even classify this film as good hack-em-slash-em horror.
Director Takashi Miike weaves a tale of an aging widower who holds a fake film audition in hopes of meeting the perfect woman; his intentions are sincere, and he seemingly finds his match in Asami, a physically and psychologically damaged 24-year old who hides a dark past...or does she?
"Audition" is a finely crafted masterpiece in horror and the film that helped establish the illustrious career of the infamous Takashi Miike.
If you have seen and liked the other films Takashi Miike has done or you think you're ready for something more intense than you are used to, this is a must see movie.
The contrast between the beginning of the film that almost feels like a light-hearted romantic fairy tale and the conclusion that turns into a mentally and physically violent horror movie is made in a unique, profound and detailed way.
Audition is an excellent film from the Japanese director, Takashi Miike.
The worst part about it is you don't even know it's going to be a horror movie for the first hour or so.The film is about Aoyama.
Audition is not for pussies who watch Scream and think crap like The Sixth Sense is the scariest movie of all time.
The film overall seems to have more "hype" than it does "substance".The movie is worth watching, but probably best viewed by an audience who doesn't know too much about the plot beforehand.
What's the point of making a 100 minute long film that gives the viewer nothing but the unpleasant feeling that comes with watching the main character suffer?
Doesn't have the look or feel of a horror film until some time into the movie, and even then the fragments that find their way to the surface are more nightmarish and haunting than jump up suspense.
This slow development will definitely be a turn off for those attracted by the film's (or Miike's) famous use of disturbing violence, but it's actually what makes the whole movie more powerful, as it builds up its plot in the sense that one completely becomes submerged in Aoyama's obsession with Asami in a similar way that Hitchcock's "Vertigo" did decades before.Takashi Miike's ambiguous masterpiece plays with the established film genres breaking the normal conventions in a surreal way.
When the movie takes its inevitable turn towards brutal horror we find the events happening to people that the audience has emphasized with - that's what makes the brutal occurences much more gruesome than those happening to one dimensional characters in other films. |
tt3316948 | American Ultra | Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is in a holding cell, handcuffed and trembling. A man enters the room while another (Bill Pullman) watches them. Mike sees flashes of the last few days, as well as items such as a bloody spoon, a frying pan, and a shot-up teddy bear.Three days earlier:Mike was living peacefully in the small town of Liman, West Virginia with his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). He's a stoner-slacker and he is head-over-heels in love with Phoebe. Mike planned a surprise trip to Hawaii for the two of them where he hoped to propose to her, but they missed their flight because he was having a panic attack in the bathroom. Mike apologizes to Phoebe repeatedly but she forgives him. En route back they're stopped by the local sheriff, who knows Mike well. He welcomes them back to town in a kind of warning way.Mike returns to his dead-end job as a clerk at the local convenience store. Since business is slow, he kills time by drawing cartoons and rolling joints. Mike draws an ongoing cartoon about a simian astronaut named Apollo Ape.At the CIA Headquarters, Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) is going through classified files when her former assistant Petey Douglas (Tony Hale) enters. She then gets a phone call from a disguised voice saying "Tough Guy" is moving in on "Wise Man". She confronts another agent, Adrian Yates (Topher Grace), as they both know this involves Mike and his association with a program that Victoria started, the Ultra Program. Yates wants Mike dead immediately, because he "keeps trying to leave town," and orders Victoria to leave.Mike and Phoebe are sharing a joint at a spot overlooking a street where they see a bunch of cop cars and a tow truck taking a car that crashed into a tree. A very stoned Mike talks about how the tree has just been standing there forever and only just did something by stopping the car. He starts crying because he thinks he's the tree and Phoebe is the car. She comforts him and says that's not the case.The next day, Mike meets his buddy Rose (John Leguizamo) to get fireworks, as he wants to propose to Phoebe using them.Later that night at work, Victoria approaches Mike with a soup cup and a milk bottle, and she speaks in codes. He has no idea what she means, and she leaves frustrated. Mike goes outside to smoke a joint and eat the soup when he sees two guys putting something on the tires of his car. He calls to them, and they approach him with knives. Something in Mike goes off and he quickly reacts by throwing the hot soup in one guy's face before disarming both of them. He stabs the other guy in the neck with a spoon and then shoots both goons dead. Freaked out, he calls Phoebe at work. She rushes over and sees the dead men. They're then both arrested by the sheriff as he arrives on the scene.Yates gets wind of what happened and knows that the codes Victoria said to Mike were meant to activate his skills. He orders two of his own agents, Crane (Monique Ganderton) and Laugher (Walton Goggins) to find Mike and Phoebe at the station, as well as a whole lockdown of the town. Crane opens fire and kills the officers while Laugher goes to kill Mike himself. Mike and Phoebe fight him and lock him in the cell. They run into Crane, who shoots at them, but they escape. The sheriff slows Crane down by cuffing her ankle to a metal chair before she executes him. Mike and Phoebe run, but Crane calls to Mike and throws him a grenade. He catches it and throws it back, blowing up the station and spilling Crane to the ground. He nods to Phoebe and walks over to Crane, and squares off with her. She throws a punch, but he grabs her wrist and breaks it, then slams Crane in the head before breaking her neck.Mike and Phoebe head back to the store where Mike left his car. He freaks out again and they hug each other. The wind blows a bag onto Mike's car, setting off a bomb that the goons from earlier planted on the car.Yates is brought to a truck full of sleeper agents, including Laugher, who survived the explosion at the station. Yates decides to use him and a few others to go after Mike.The two take Phoebe's car to Rose's home where they can be protected. Rose is suspicious when he sees them because the news is making it seem like Mike contracted typhoid from Victoria, and that's why the town is on lockdown.Meanwhile, Victoria comes across the station and sees Crane's corpse sitting outside. She contacts Petey and asks for his help. He sends her a package containing guns and files on Crane and Laugher. Victoria realizes that Yates is using people with mental health problems as part of his program.Yates calls Petey and tells him he knows about the supply package, and threatens to have him killed for treason.Looking over the files, Victoria talks to Petey, who now says he can't help her because he's been told she is committing treason.A few sleeper agents sneak around Rose's home and spread a poisonous gas through the vents. Another agent breaks in and kills Rose and his two buddies while Mike and Phoebe are in the next room. Phoebe tries escaping through the ceiling but falls through as one agent attacks Mike. Mike is exposed to the gas but he rips the mask off the agent, which Phoebe takes. Mike bashes the agent's head in with a weight and slowly slips out of consciousness.Phoebe grabs Mike and takes him outside. She kills the agent that let the gas in and takes an antidote from him, then injects it into Mike. He feels sleepy but Phoebe warns him that he will die if he slips away. Mike then sees flashes of nothing but his time with Phoebe as she pleads with him to wake up. He pukes and is okay but asks Phoebe how she knew what the gas was. She then admits that she is CIA and has been his handler for the last five years. Betrayed, Mike retreats to her car. She runs there with him, and the car is then hit by Laugher, driving in a larger vehicle. The car falls over a bridge. Laugher grabs Phoebe and pours gas all over the car. Victoria shows up and gets Mike out before Laugher lights it up and makes the car explode. He takes Phoebe back to Yates.Victoria takes Mike somewhere safe and tells him that he volunteered at a young age for the Ultra program after getting in and out of trouble a number of times. He was the only successful volunteer, but the program was discontinued after it was discovered it was starting to drive Mike insane. She erased his memories and gave him phobias to prevent him from leaving home (the order to kill him was because he tried to leave town to go to Hawaii). They return to Mike's house where he says he would rather die stoned and smiling in bed. Victoria explains to Mike that Phoebe watched over him during his training and always believed in him. She was only supposed to stay long enough so that Mike was settled in Liman, then return to CIA headquarters for debriefing and go on to her next assignment, but she fell so deeply in love with Mike that she gave everything up to stay with him.Three more agents arrive and shoot at Mike. At the same time, Yates orders Petey to send out a drone to blow up Mike's home, even at the cost of some of his own agents. Victoria kills one using a teddy bear as a silencer. Mike kills another and then finishes the last by bouncing a bullet off a frying pan. Petey cancels the drone strike to spite Yates. He then calls Yates and Victoria's superior, Raymond Krueger (the man watching Mike at the beginning).Yates gets in touch with Mike, who arranges to get Phoebe back at a nearby supermarket. When Yates lets Phoebe talk to Mike to show she's alive and that Yates has her, she tells him that she was the tree all along, and he was the car. But Mike resolves to get her back.At the supermarket, Yates brings Phoebe with a team of assassins. Mike uses the fireworks as he makes his entrance, driving through the store. He takes on all the assassins, killing them with whatever he can get his hands on in the store (a meat cleaver and hammer, for instance). He is left to face Laugher while Yates takes Phoebe with him. She uncuffs herself with a paper clip and punches Yates in the face. He hits her back and yells at her about how Mike will be killed, but she just smiles and flips him off. Victoria then catches Yates and nearly strangles him to death with a cable until Krueger arrives and stops her. Mike almost finishes off Laugher until he slumps over and apologizes, saying he can't control what he does, and that Mike is a better agent than him. Mike lets Laugher go.Mike finds Phoebe and they walk outside together to face SWAT teams and other armed troopers. Mike takes this opportunity to propose to Phoebe. She says yes, but the moment is killed when both of them get tasered.Krueger takes both Yates and Victoria into the woods and reprimands them for letting all the deaths happen as a result of getting Mike activated, including seven civilians; a severe violation. Yates admits to acting without authorization, but insists he took initiative on a program already in place and that Krueger would be thanking him if it was a success. Krueger admits Yates is right about this, but then he shoots and kills him. A frightened Victoria begs for her life, but Krueger coldly tells her she needs to come up with a miracle. Victoria says she already has one: Mike killed 17 "toughguy" assets by himself, proving that Mike is a very valuable asset worth keeping alive.We return to the first scene where Krueger is watching Mike get debriefed.Six months later.Mike and Phoebe are in the Philippines on what appears to be a romantic getaway. Mike leaves Phoebe at the front desk, and she looks into a camera where Victoria and Petey are watching them. Mike gets into an elevator and is taken by two Mandarin gangsters, as planned by Victoria. The main gangster threatens and taunts Mike, but Mike observes what he can get his hands on in the room and he springs into action...As the closing credits begin, a montage of Apollo Ape animations show Mike wiping out all the gangsters and escaping the hotel with Phoebe, where they finally take that long-awaited Hawaiian getaway. | comedy, murder, violence, flashback, insanity, absurd, satire, romantic, brainwashing, revenge, sadist | train | imdb | Some of the dialogue landed with a thud and Walton Goggins could've toned it down a bit, but otherwise American ULTRA was a pretty slick little action film.
(Credit to Mr. Moiz)Small-town stoner Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) spends most of his time getting high and writing a graphic novel about a superhero monkey.
I couldn't stop smiling throughout the movie; it was well paced, the character development was good (don't expect anything too deep), the comedy was well timed, and the action was exciting.
When it comes to blending action with comedy, some films hit the mark (Lethal Weapon & Rush Hour) and others, don't (Paul Blart) but when you combine action/suspense with stoner comedy, then what leads is one of the most fun films you'll see this summer.Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is an everyday small-town stoner, who works a bland job at a market, with the goal of marrying his girlfriend, Phoebe (Kirsten Stewart) but what he doesn't know, is that he's actually an experiment conducted by a CIA agent named Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) and that the CIA has put out a hit on him.
and you want to watch his back when he's surrounded by 6 assassins...not that he'd need you.Kirsten Stewart might be known best for her role in Twilight and of course we all know how much those stories mean to single women who spend a lot of time writing fanfictions inspired from a Danielle Steel paperback, but here, she's actually not that bad.
Now Mike and his girlfriend Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart) need to escape from a CIA team of assassins."American Ultra" is an overrated imbecile film with a stupid story lost between action and comedy about a Nikita-like CIA program of assassins that is shutdown.
You can totally feel for the pathetic stoner who just wants to propose to his girlfriend but finds himself being attacked by a multitude of agents and executioners.As expected from the trailers, you come ready for some kick-ass action in which the movie does not disappoint but I felt there was a lot of detail lacking at some crucial points in the film.
I enjoyed the action bits, and they tried to keep it pumped up with lots of bullets and blood (spoon kill!), but there were very few funny moments at all.As an action guy, Eisenburg's lackluster fighting style emphasizes the fact that it looks like he has never completed a push-up in his life.
Topher Grace, who played the major antagonist, came off as some sort of nervous-hipster-yuppie-douchebag despite being the head of a major CIA operation.Anyway, if you enjoy getting high and watching movies while eating a whole pizza and tub of ice cream, then this is right up your alley!
It is aesthetically not pleasing and it looks like they shot it in a parking lot over the course of a weekend.I'm not a fan of Kristen Stewart but I consider her a good actress with a broad range of facial expressions and emotions and she delivers in this movie too.
Topher Grace is adequate too but the rest of the cast looks like they prefer to be somewhere else including Connie Britton and the veteran Bill Pullman.There are some actions scenes where the mighty spy kicks some ass but overall the movie fails to produce a satisfying result.Maybe in the hands of a more capable director and a reworked script (written by the son of John Landis) this movie could be better.
It's marketed as the romantic "Pineapple Express" of sorts, boasting the amiable and easily relatable chemistry of Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, but cacophonous action sequences and a downright stupid plot prevent any kind of humor or remnants of wit to seep through such a lackluster story.
For once, a stoner film, and potentially its actors and crew, have gotten so taken by their chemical reinforcement that they forgot to say, create, or do anything funny or insightful.We follow Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg), a chronic stoner living with his unbelievably patient girlfriend Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart).
The two live together and share incredible romance whilst Mike works at a local convenient store.Meanwhile, we focus on a nearby CIA office where Agent Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) learns that her workplace rival, Adrian Yates (Topher Grace), has taken over the "Ultra Program," a secret project she once helmed to create agents that operated like normal people but were really just pawns of the CIA.
Grace, an actor I've long-defended for his ability to be goofy, serious, smug, believable, and charismatic, sometimes all in one film, does some strong, over-the-top comedy here, and, despite two solid leads, outshines everyone around him.But at the end of it all, "American Ultra" suffers from the stoner mentality of "who cares, let's do it," resulting in a convoluted film that probably would've been better suited for an "intellectual" conversation with friends and some help than a ninety-six minute film.
The love to this movie was great made it that much real.Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg had the perfectly weird, awkward vibe that made the relationship of the characters work.
Eisenberg plays Mike Howell, a small-town potsmoker with nothing going on life other than his job at the a local convenience store ad his girlfriend Phoebe (played by Kristen Stewart) who he hopes to marry soon.
Mike and Phoebe are then on the run from the CIA, with the help of Agent Victoria Lasseter (played by Connie Britton) as they fend off against ruthless, gun-totting agents that try to kill them in a violent gun-shooting mayhem.The trailer for this movie almost entirely misleads viewers into thinking this as laugh-out stoner comedy with its use of short comedic one- liners and David Guetta's pop song 'Hey Mama', when this film turns out be dark and extremely violent actioner with just occasional pinches of humor here and there.
There are few hilarious lines of dialogue by Jesse Eisenberg and Topher Grace, and the romantic chemistry between Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart that works surprisingly well enough keep viewers rooting for them at every turn, even though they shared romance in Greg Mottola's 2009 film 'Adventureland'.
The chemistry between Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, who've worked together before, is one of the best things American ULTRA has going for it.
I can't believe I'm about to say this, but American Ultra wouldn't have been half as effective if they hadn't put the "sleeper agent" concept in a stoner setting.Jessie Eisenberg stars as Mike, a stoner who suffers from crippling panic attacks whenever he tries to leave town.
The film would've worked much better if it was another non- official body, rather than the CIA, because there were a lot of problems like the CIA ordering drone strikes on US territory that would have been alleviated, and the idea of open war between CIA officials over a difference of policy was a bit much to swallow.At the end of the day, American Ultra's quirky blend of plot points and genres is a surprising success thanks to charming performances and awesome action sequences..
Good supporting performances by Topher Grace, Goggins, and Leguizamo, a great climactic battle in a warehouse with Eisenberg pulling off an impressive long-take action shot, and the soundtrack worked for me.
Staring the Twilight chick (Kristen Stewart), and the Facebook guy (Jesse Einsenberg), American Ultra was directed by Project X director Nima Nourizadeh.I put it on knowing that it wasn't high art so I put my skepticism aside and tried to enjoy the movie.
The only thing that kept me watching was the acting, Jesse Eisenberg's quirky blend of acting was on point, he's convincing as a stoner and scary good in the action scenes.
Kristen Stewart is also very good in the film and did not mailed in like we've seen her do it in the pass ("You nicknamed my daughter after the Lochness monster!" LMAO).So American Ultra is a Pineapple Express type of film but less fun, good action, and a lot more awkward.
hey that's why we watch the movies, right?Anyway once you get over the weirdness of the unveiling story-line which has difficulty flowing you would be entertained by the most unlikely action hero of all in Jesse.Jesse's acting is top of the line and seems a 180 degree turn from Social Network.If there is one reason you should watch this film this should be it..
Now, he must try to use his new abilities to save himself and his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart) from getting killed.If there is one thing to take away from this film is that it's fun.
Jesse eisenberg plays mike, the stoner and he does a great job for the role as you see him react to his situation and it is very funny to watch.
Kristen Stewart plays his girlfriend phoebe and this is the best thing I've seen her do, maybe comedy is her fit and her chemistry with eisenberg is great.
When you have a film like American Ultra, you don't go in expecting a solid plot, but you do go in with an expectation of a unique treatment, and that's why this movie falls short.
In the case of the film American Ultra, I feel myself undecided, because on the one hand, its unstable combination of action and "stoner" comedy offers some well implemented fluctuations of tone and slight emotional moments; on the other hand, the unusual combination of genres can't dissimulate the fact that, effectively, we are watching a series of clichés vaguely integrated to a mediocre story whose details might seem new-flanged, even though its structure keeps being stale and predictable.
Jesse Eisenberg brings a competent performance as a "loser" who becomes an invincible secret agent with amnesia, and the same can be said about Topher Grace as the arrogant bureaucrat who isn't afraid of abusing from his governmental power; Connie Britton as the benevolent face of science; Walton Goggins as the obligatory maniac assassin produced by the same secret programme as the main character; and Kristen Stewart as the apathetic girlfriend.
In conclusion, American Ultra doesn't end up being very satisfactory, either as an action film or as a "stoner" comedy.
From the opening this movie basically says, "I am poorly conceived, and lack vision from any perspective of entertainment." American Ultra is a clinic on bad film making.Then characters - not believable, not stylized, not good!
In fact, the unknowing agent in this action-comedy doesn't even have to check-in.Convenient store clerk Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) divides his time up between working, drawing cartoons, and getting high with his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart).But when an eager operative (Topher Grace) orders the assassination of project Ultra's last remaining sleeper, Ultra's mastermind (Connie Britton) locates Mike and activates him moments before the cleanup crew arrives.With access to his CIA training, Mike is now equipped to take on the elite killers invading his small town.While the action is certainly rapid fire and somewhat inventive, the film's simplistic plot line fails to find its purpose.
Yes American Ultra has a very simplistic story, but the plot device of a stoner turned agent is just unique enough to provide an entertaining premise.The fact that the film is simple works in its favour.
'AMERICAN ULTRA': Four Stars (Out of Five)Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart reunite (after formerly pairing in 2009's 'ADVENTURELAND') for this stoner-comedy action flick!
The movie has a lot of cool action scenes, likable characters, some humorous marijuana jokes, and an amusing love story.
American Ultra badly wants you to like it, it badly wants to be cool and hip and in general it badly fails at being either a black comedy, a sufficient action film or in general a good feature length movie and by the time Nima Nourizadeh's (the mastermind behind Project X) film ends, you'll badly be wishing that you could've got your time back.Some strange hybrid of Pineapple Express slacker vibes and Jason Bourne action ticks, American Ultra certainly harbors the possibility of being a decent film but it's mishmash of genres never takes hold and for a film of this ilk, it's worryingly bereft of laughs and wit and its almost as though Nourizadeh knows it and tries to make up for it with a stunningly incompetent array of gore filled action scenes that feel neither warranted nor feature anything we haven't seen before, bar a spoon being used to de-throat a certain bad guy.Front and centre to this ill-conceived and in many ways nasty event is Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart who not only share a terrible on screen chemistry (which is strange considering their success in Adventureland) that's akin to pairing a plank of wood with a slab of concreate but share in portraying two unlikeable and seen before characters that do little to encourage audience investment.Eisenberg in particular needed his role as Lex Luther in Batman vs Superman to succeed more than ever as his recent diminishing returns have become quite worrying after great feats in both the Social Network and Zombieland and despite the recent The Double offering him a good crack at something interesting, a huge portion of his works of late have been anything but memorable.
The movie's title sounds like a strain of marijuana (and, believe it or not, one with that name was actually created to help market the movie), but "American Ultra" actually refers to Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg), a highly skilled agent that the C.I.A. created by using experimental training and mind-altering techniques.
It's a ridiculous, occasionally exciting and somewhat amusing fight for lives, careers and #merica.Basically, "American Ultra" is "Pineapple Express" (or, insert the name of your favorite stoner comedy here) plus 1993's "Point of No Return" (which was based on 1990's "La Femme Nikita), plus "The Bourne
" (Saying exactly which one I'm thinking of would spoil part of this movie's plot.).
Kristen Stewart was amazing (probably her best performance in her career), Jessie Eisenberg was awesome as always (big fan of him), the direction was great, the action was fantastic (my second biggest surprise), the story is nice and original, the script was also impressive and a pretty fit romantic story.
This movie comes equipped with a uniquely beautiful story-line which will keep you laughing and on the edge of your seat rooting for the stoner; it's the perfect action, comedy, romantic cluster for anyone to enjoy.Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg work their roles so beautifully in American Ultra, honestly when I saw these two in the same film I was kind of unsure if it were to be good; I watched it anyway and thankfully I did.
Jesse Eisenberg is the unlikely star in American Ultra, and while he and his leading lady Kristen Stewart do their best, the script isn't enough to make the film more than okay.Mike Howell is a diminutive stoner who, when not working at the local Cash and Carry, spends his time doodling and daydreaming.
Unbelievable and too Complex to be included here, suffice to say this Movie is more True than You would Believe.Therefore, it's not a Laugh a Minute but it does Contain some Black Comedy, but relies more on Ultra-Violence and Super-Style to give the Message Meaning and be Entertaining with a Cartoon Look.Not Everything Works, but Most of it Does, and the Film feels Awkward, Odd, and while it is Slick, Sleek, and Artsy, the Anxiety felt by Jesse Eisenberg's "MiKe" (get it) transfers to the Audience like some kind of "Contact High".Overall, its Pulsating Presentation is part of the Uneasy Charm and will most likely be Enjoyed by its Target Audience, others not in on the "Vibe" will probably Protest its Conceits and won't have a Clue about any of it.Note...The end Credits Cartoon is a hilarious Hoot..
People who love dark humor will find plenty of laughs in this one, and the actors are mostly pretty believable, despite the overall silliness of the story.Some people criticized it for mixing various genres, but I think it's actually one of its strength as the odd mishmash of inspirations and over the top characters gives it a very original vibe and makes it a lot more fun and unpredictable than other recent movies.
This movie is totally underrated.To be honest I gave it a try few years ago (writing this in 2018), but wasn't in the mood for the plot are could read here and there.Eisenberg, Stewart, Leguizamo and Grace embark you to a journey where situations, pace and dialogs are just giving you an excellent time.Definitely worth the 96 minutes of my life..
The film is about stoner, Mike Howell, played by Jesse Eisenberg, as he struggles to understand his newly activated abilities as a sleeper agent as the CIA tries to kill him.
Topher Grace was good as the bad CIA agent who wanted to kill poor conditioned to not know who he really is Jesse, aka Mike Howell.
They just contributed to the predictability.The best part of the movie is the love story and the excellent acting of Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart..
I'm used to Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart being in serious, drama films, and it was cool to see them in an action comedy!
American Ultra is a fun movie, with lots of action, romance and Comedy!
Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenburg) and Phoebe Larson (Kristen Stewart) both live a normal life in a small town until Mike is activated and then Some of the CIA try to kill them and there whole lives have changed.I would say that this is a fantastic, awesome fun movie to watch and you should definitely go see it🔥.
American Ultra is directed by Nima Nourizadeh and stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Tony Hale and Bill Pullman.
Well, it may have been that but it was also quite entertaining though not as funny as I thought it would be though that was okay because I liked the drama concerning the romance of the Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart characters. |
tt0266075 | Yeogo goedam II | The film revolves around the relationship between two high school students, Yoo Shi-Eun (Lee Young-jin) and Min Hyo-Shin (Park Ye-jin). As the two girls become romantically involved, their taboo friendship causes them to be marginalized by the other students. Unable to cope with the social pressures of having a lover of the same gender, Shi-Eun tries to distance herself from the increasingly dependent Hyo-Shin. Hyo-Shin reacts poorly to Shi-Eun's changed attitude, viewing it as both a betrayal and rejection. Hyo-Shin consequently commits suicide by jumping off of the school roof. It is also heavily implied that she was pregnant at the time of death, the father being literature teacher Mr. Goh.The plot unfurls in a nonlinear fashion, often from the perspective of fellow student Soh Min-Ah (Kim Min-sun). Min-Ah grows increasingly invested in Shi-Eun and Hyo-Shin when she finds a diary kept between the two alienated girls. This diary allows her disturbing insights to the nature of the relationship and pulls her deeper into a strange chain of events around the school. After Hyo-Shin's death, supernatural occurrences start to terrorize all of the students that condemned the relationship. It is later revealed that Hyo-Shin's spirit is malevolently haunting the school through the remnants she left behind in the diary. | atmospheric, revenge, murder, romantic, flashback | train | imdb | I saw this movie after having seen the first and third installments (except for a common setting at an all-girl Korean school, the three have no plot connections).
There are some horror elements, but the film is more successful when it focuses instead on character development and on unfurling its back story (largely through flashbacks, which can sometimes confuse the narrative a bit).
The acting is good as a whole, and most of the minor characters seem fully-realized, resulting in a film that has a rich setting behind it.There are some bad sides to Memento Mori.
As another user already stated, there are some similarities (especially atmosphere-wise) to "The Virgin Suicides" and although I liked VS better, "Memento Mori" remains a strong movie.Did it have any flaws?
Fans of the original "Whispering Corridors" will be disappointed to learn that this is a sequel in name only; it shares absolutely no connection with the original movie apart from its title.
The story tells of a girl, Min-ah, who finds a diary kept by two lesbian lover classmates at her boarding school - and soon begins suffering from strange hallucinations whenever she reads from it.
Shortly after, one of the lovers is found dead and it's up to Min-ah to discover whether she killed herself or whether someone murdered her; before her spirit returns to the school for revenge."Memento Mori" is a wonderful movie, but it isn't an out-and-out horror flick as some have suggested.
a school ghost story ridden with teen love and infatuation, and the result is a beautifully crafted dreamlike feature which is a true delight to watch.Acting is phenomenal from all concerned, with the actress playing Min-ah using a wide range of skills to play the different states her character finds herself in to perfection.
The directors do a commendable job, too, even if their choice of camera angles is sometimes confusing - and the storyline occassionally lacks a clear narrative - I haven't enjoyed a Korean movie as much as this for quite some time.Basically, "Memento Mori" is excellent from start to finish and seamlessly blends horror, suspense and romance to create a truly unforgettable feature.
I have not seen the original Yeogo Goedam but i assume it was more of a straight horror.Because of it's genre crossing, Memento Mori adds to the horror theme of Shi-eun's return a sadness and tenderness that coagulates very strangely, but effectively with the terror-filled images of Shi-eun's body on the ground, and her haunting of the school.
With the diary, however, (i know, it's really good), but Kyu-Dong Min actually mentioned that they researched heaps of teenage girls' diaries and many were much more elaborate than the one they made for the film.
Lee Young-Jin showed great control as the living dead girl and Park Yeh-jin arguably holds the whole film's acting performances together, both in terms of performance and narrative.I really like Memento Mori.
Even it falls at some point it still one of the best movie I've ever seen.What I like on the are: the story, of course.
and it's not bad to love a person but not too much.Well, I really recommend this film because it's a very unique and stylish movie.
However, the biggest mistake of this film I found was that it had to follow a big commercial success of Yeogo goedam I, so it turned out as a confusing half-horror or half-romance genre.
Yeogo Goedam II starts out as an interesting story about adolescent love and turns into a nonsensical "horror" film.
The way Hyo-shin and Shi-eun's relationship is revealed to Min-ah through their diary gave me the sense that this film would be far better than it turned out to be (the diary is pretty cool).
I first watch this film at cinema, but it seems like no Philippine release...This is the first Korean movie I've seen.
In a Korean high-school, the teenagers Hyo-Shin Min (Yeh-jin Park) and Shi-Eun Yoo (Young-jin Lee) are lesbian lovers that decide to write a diary together and expose their love to their schoolmates.
Shi-Eun's classmate Min-Ah So (Min-sun Kim) finds and reads their diary, disclosing the innermost secrets of the two lovers, and becomes obsessed for Shi-Eun. When a close friend advises that Min-Ah would die because she was reading the diary of a dead girl, she wants to return the diary to Hyo-Shin."Memento Mori" is an intriguing, tragic and eerie love story, with a confused screenplay.
In the end, this film is a good supernatural romance but not recommended for fans of the traditional horror genre.
It may be incongruous with the nature of the film, but if it were to be shot exactly the same as Whispering Corridors then I would moan.A lonely student at an all-girl Korean school finds a diary out in the schoolyard and is sucked into the world of the soon-to-be dead who has left behind.
The film jumps around in time as the girl reads stories from the diary.
Scare Factor: 3 of 10 Acting: 5 of 10 Story: 5 of 10 Nation of origin: South Korea Viewed on: Tartan Asian Extreme DVD Video Format: Widescreen Audio Format: 5.1 DTS"Memento Mori" is the second of movie in the "Whispering Corridors" trilogy.
It however doesn't spin and twist so much you can't follow it.If you simply accept the fact that "Memento Mori" isn't a movie with any horror value I think you will find it somewhat enjoyable.
Yes, it's another-- at times gory-- high school horror flick, but the difference here are the girls...
Whether good or evil, they are played with a genuineness that sometimes makes you think you're eavesdropping on actual conversations.And while there are definitely some horror clichés, it is, after all, yet another high school horror flick(!), it just feels different this time.
Although the Korean name for Memento Mori would lead you to believe it is a sequel to Whispering Corridors, other than the setting, the two films have very little in common.
The story in Memento Mori involves a love affair between two students at an all-girl's school.
A third girl finds the diary the two girls wrote together and, through its pages, begins a horrifying journey to understand what happened to her classmates and how one of them could end up dead.Regardless of how Memento Mori has been marketed to American audiences, it's not a horror movie.
Memento Mori moves slow and allows you to get to know the characters, their fears, their problems, and to really develop a sense of caring for them.I haven't rated the movie any higher because this type of film and this subject matter don't appeal to me on an entertainment level regardless of how well made the film is.
And the acting is rock solid.One question that has bothered me after having recently watched both Whispering Corridors and Memento Mori is: Do teachers in Korea really treat their students in the manner presented here, with physical and emotional abuse?
The "Whispering Corridors" films are pretty much just sequels in name & theme only, with a high school setting - including the school girls - as the main reoccurring elements.
"Memento Mori" is a mixture of drama, lesbian romance and a bit of ghostly horror.
Some characters are also acting in a weird and not quite credible way and the ending of the movie crowns this hazardous development.If you want to see a realistic and visionary school drama, this flick may be partly interesting for you but doesn't go profound enough to truly convince.
High school love stories are fraught with difficulty, especially when depicted on camera, and even more so when the couple in question are involved in a same sex relationship, as shown in this suspenseful thriller, that, despite a couple of brilliantly unpredicted scares, works best as a character drama, much like its prequel, Whispering Corridors, though the two are completely unrelated.Min-ah (Gyu-ri Kim), a cheerful high school student, discovers a diary which illustrates the relationship between two of her fellow students, Shi-eun (Yeong-jin Lee) and Hyo-shin (Yeh-jin Park), which transitions from a contemporary friendship, to a complicated romance.
Much like a car crash, Min-ah is unable to keep her eyes from the two young ladies, the diary being far from beautiful, proving to be as sad as it is sometimes disturbing, which reflects the tone of the feature.After one of the lovers commits suicide, the entire school is affected by not only the emotional turmoil of such an incident, but the ramifications that come after, as bizarre, haunting occurrences begin to dominate the school.
To articulate any further about the plot would be telling, Memento Mori been one of those films where every scene is pivotal to the understanding of the feature, potentially requiring more than one view to comprehend segments of the plot, though unanswered questions will continue to prevail.Unlike the original, the second film in the Whispering Corridors franchise is not in chronological order, rather, past and present are simultaneously conveyed, the beginning portions of the film on initial viewing appearing to blur together, before viewers inevitably become accustomed to the story's unique portrayal.
Though the movie feels complete, viewing the special features provides the audience with the knowledge that several scenes were cut, and had they been included, the film's impact would have remained unchanged, but the many complexity's might have been more thoroughly understood.Like Whispering Corridors, viewers are able to provide their own answers to the many questions that remain, the filmmakers laying the foundations for a story that continues long after the credits have rolled.
Half an hour after watching the feature I became quite sad after continuing to contemplate much of the film and character decisions, which impact the audience for a long while afterwards.Intelligent, beautiful and poignant, Memento Mori is every bit as unique and fascinating as Whispering Corridors.
Although on most occasions the movie is not in your face terrifying, the story feels like a rite of passage that anyone of any age should view, in order to understand the complexities of an adolescent mind, the teenage girls of the feature inevitably forging paths that will lead them into adulthood..
MEMENTO MORI is a South Korean ghost story and follow-up to the similar WHISPERING CORRIDORS, although the two films are unconnected in terms of plot.
While watching MEMENTO MORI, it soon becomes apparent that this is an extremely atypical horror film: it's more of a touching, tragic love story between two lesbian school friends rather than anything else.
Almost the first hr of this movie has hardly no scary or even creepy scenes, just two lesbian girls doing stuff and one girl who finds the diary investigating.
It starts out as a drama about being lesbian at high-school level and ends up as a "horror" in which the students and in particular the lesbian partner who she felt let down by feels the wrath of the dead.
I love the story,the actresses and everything!!!I think this film is scary and cool.This is one of the best movie I've ever watched.
Even though,others didn't like the story...well..who cares!The important thing is I and my friends enjoyed this movie.That's why I would like to congratulate all the casts and the creators...Actually,its been years since this movie was released in the Philippines.I JUST LOVE IT!!!More power to all of you guys!!I Like Yeh-jin Park,Young-jin Lee and Min-sun Kim!!You are all awesome guys!!I like the way they act their characters and all.It seems real!!God bless TO ALL!!!.
Unlike the first Yeogo Goedam, this time I managed to follow the plot and the characters, although I still found it quite difficult to differentiate the characters (for someone like me who doesn't meet Asian looking people in their lives - their appearances look similar and their names sound similar).Whispering Corridors 2: Memento Mori is a film I've heard and read was great and highly recommended, and maybe that's why I was slightly disappointed.
Good Drama, sometimes great - but Drama nonetheless, and I'm not such a Drama fan, especially not when I set out to watch a scary film.Memento Mori's absolute best scene was the poem/speech in the very beginning.
From then on - like I said, a slight disappointment.The relationship described between Hyo-shin and Shi-eun takes the audience through all the emotional spectrum one can imagine, but when it comes to moments of bone-chilling fear I've learnt to expect from Asian horror films - it fails to deliver.
True, there is a ghost involved, but nothing like The Grudge or The Ring, or even the newer slightly less frightening films like Alone.All in all, I think I've learnt that Korean Horror simply isn't my style, and am probably not going to continue watching the Yeogo Goedam series.
Objectively - you might enjoy this film, if you like to combine Drama with not so scary Horror.
"Memento Mori" is not a horror movie.
I might have given "Memento Mori" a score of 10 except for the fact that the climax contains a cheesy bit of film making that, had this been an American movie, would have made me scream out in anguish!
Much more interested in the relationship between two schoolgirls than being a true ghost story (though it is that to at the behest of the Producer) This Korean film has to do with a mysterious diary that has been found by one of the students detailing the developing lesbian relationship between the two girls, which is handled extremely well and brought to mind Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures" in a way.
The ghost that appears in the second half haunts and assaults the ONLY NICE GIRL in the whole movie and completely IGNORES the characters that needs to be brought down a notch -- like the cruel classmates (God knows there's plenty of them) that picks on and abuses the main characters (and the ghost before she dies), as well as a teacher who slaps one of the girls so hard she bled.
Memento Mori is apparently a sequel to Whispering Corridors, which was a reasonably enjoyable Asian ghost story set in an all girl's school, but although the location may be the same, the characters and events are totally unrelated (so there's no need to bother seeing the original film first if you haven't already).Unrequited Sapphic schoolgirl lust, suicide, and a scorned spook are the order of the day, all of which sounds like a recipe for some serious fun, but the manner in which Memento Mori is executed is so messy that confusion and then boredom are the inevitable outcome.The film begins with schoolgirl Min-Ah finding a diary written by two of her classmates, who are one step away from rubbing rug.
As Min-Ah delves deeper into the girls' private scribblings and learns more of their relationship, things begin to get really weird and completely unfathomable, a fractured time-line that whips erratically between events past and present not exactly helping matters.Other reviewers here on IMDb found the film subtle, surreal, and touching; I would add 'totally boring'..
Young lesbians at Korean high school for girls have a rough go of it.
The movie takes a very long time to get rolling, it's about 40 minutes into the film before we get some idea of where the heck it's going.
Memento Mori, aka Yeogo Goedam II, is an in-name-only sequel to a film by the English title, Whispering Corridors.
Although this film bears no real connection to the first, they share a common theme of supernatural happenings in a girls' school.
In my opinion, Memento Mori far exceeds the enjoyable Whispering Corridors.A high school girl named Min-ah finds a very elaborate and colorful diary belonging to two of her classmates.
Somebody should make a movie about what the boys were doing while all of this was going on...I was pretty impressed by all of this, because I have never seen a film portraying "that day" in any genre before.
So the coolest thing about this horror movie is not that it is particularly scary, but for portraying "that day" of pointless humiliation...did you ever stop to wonder why the school even needed this information?
It's very easy to see why Min-ah would take the diary in the first place, and why she would continue reading even after her visions began.The horror doesn't really get started until the second half, but the buildup is very effective.
And if more horror movies used character like this, Memento Mori wouldn't feel so unfamiliar..
The relationships between the girls were interesting but then the film changed direction so often it was hard to follow the individual stories.
so if you like the weak, cliché riddled American horror films that disgusts more then scare, you waisted your time reading this.
ha ha ha,but if you like a good story and a "mess with your head" type film Memento Mori is perfect for you,so,buy it buy it buy it!!!
Hyo-shin(Yeh-jin Park) and Shi-eun(Young-jin Lee)are a teenage lesbian couple who share a unique diary portraying their growing relationship which is found by Min-ah(Min-sun Kim).
Min-ah wishes to return the diary to Hyo-shin if it will stop the carnage.This is, in actuality, a painful lesbian drama with the horror elements only further telling the story.
Memento Mori is actually a pretty basic ghost story built on guilt and grief, but transcends the genre through digital video techniques and a lot of creepy ambiance.It's set in a girls school where hormones run rampant and can barely be contained within the walls.
Two girls, Hyo-shin and Shi-eun, spark a friendship and then a relationship, writing it all down in a shared diary that is later found by Min-ah.
After Hyo-shin kills herself, though, things go quickly awry, and figuring out what is going on is put secondary to the emotional trials the girls have to go through, both individually and as a school.Now not everything in this movie works, but the whole is definitely better than the sum of its separate parts. |
tt1477076 | Saw 3D | The movie opens with a glass cage which contents is in full view of confused onlookers. Two men who apparently know each other wake up chained to either end of a table saw inside the cage. Suddenly, a girl is unveiled; suspended above the two men. The puppet, "Billy" rides in on a trike and says they each have to decide whether the other man will die, so that the girl that has been dating both guys will live, or choose to not kill each other and let the girl die. One guy starts to push the saw to the other end, and the other guy pushes back. The girl then tells one man she loves him and the jilted man starts winning. She then tells the one who is about to 'win' that she loves him but he doesn't believe her after she had just said she had loved the other guy a moment before. Consequently, they agree to let her die instead and she is sawn in half, spewing blood out of her mouth as her intestines spill on the floor.Detective Mark Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) escapes from a trap which was attached to his head. He just misses a hiding Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell), and instead focuses on stitching himself up. As Jigsaw's ex-wife and with enough familiarity of Hoffman's character, Jill knows that Hoffman will not give up hunting her, and begins making her own arrangements. Heading to the police and requesting a detective not previously involved in the Jigsaw case, Gibson (Chad Donella), she tells him that she has important information and evidence that she will give up only if she gets immunity. Gibson immediately agrees to this.Bobby Degen (Sean Patrick Flannery) is a survivor of Jigsaw/John (Tobin Bell), and he has written a self-help book called S.U.R.V.I.V.E. which is based on his experience of escaping a Jigsaw trap. He pierced his pectoral muscles with hooks and hoisted himself into the air in order to escape. He is being interviewed and with him are his best friend Cale (Dean Armstrong), his lawyer Suzanne, his public relations woman Nina (Naomi Snieckus), and wife Joyce (Gina Holden). He and his handlers argue about how well the interview went. Nina wanted him to mention his wife so Joyce could come out on stage and he could kiss her, but Cale, Suzanne, and Joyce think it went well.Some white supremacists are at an abandoned junk yard. The driver is glued to the driver's seat. His girlfriend is chained under the car with barbed wire. His friend is in front of the car, and another friend is also in a trap. A tape plays and says that the driver has judged people by the color of their skin and now he is going to learn that everyone is the same color on the inside. He has thirty seconds to rip himself from the seat so that he can pull a lever. Otherwise, the car is going to fall off the jacks, crushing his girlfriend and causing a chain reaction which will kill him and the others. He tries to reach and gets close, but ultimately is unsuccessful. The car falls on the girlfriend, then goes forward and rips up the the one friend and then runs over the second one, the car crashes and the driver is thrown through the window.Bobby is hosting a gathering of Jigsaw survivors. Some agree that the trap experience helped them but others thought the experience left them even worse off, so Bobby gives a little pep talk meant to inspire and bring optimism. The pep talk is countered by the sarcastic clapping of a mysterious man who indirectly questions the usefulness of the meetings and hints that it is no more then promotional material for Bobby's fame. At the end of the meeting Cale asks Bobby who the "creepy guy at the meeting with the cane" is, Bobby reveals that the man is at the meetings all the time but that he's harmless and there is nothing to worry about. Joyce and a bodyguard heads to the car but when Bobby goes out to join them he finds the car empty. Without warning, he is suddenly attacked.When he wakes up, he is in a cage. The puppet "Billy" appears on a TV screen and tells Bobby that they both know his story of being a Jigsaw survivor is a hoax. Now he must be earn that status by completing a series of tasks to get to his wife, who is chained in an unknown location. First, he has to pull a handle which causes the bottom of the cage he is in to drop off. He is suspended from the cage over a small square of sharp objects sticking out of the floor. He swings his legs to get the cage clear of the them and jumps. He follows signs written in red which apparently contain drivel from his book. He and his handlers are in the game.First is Nina, who Jigsaw charges as someone who continues to spread lies. She has a fishhook jammed down her throat and is tied up in a contraption. Screws in the contraption are all aimed at her neck and hooked to a sound measure. Jigsaw explains that the device measures the decibel level in the room, and if it exceeds a whisper the screws will advance and impale her in the neck. There is also a timer that will set off the screws unless she is unlocked from the contraption but the key is in Nina's stomach, Bobby must pull out the fishhook to retrieve it. She can't resist screaming in pain as Bobby tries to pull out the hook and splatters them both in blood. By the time he gets the hook out she's screaming loudly in pain, the screws impale her and she dies. Shaken, Bobby again accuses her of never being able to stay quiet.Next is Suzanna, who Jigsaw charges as someone who not only speaks lies but knowingly looks away from the truth. She is in a trap which will impale her in the eyes and mouth unless Bobby stands in a different machine and pushes a huge amount of weight up. He tries hard, but the contraption actually stabs him while he is lifting the weight. He is unable to handle the pain or hold up the weight for the required 30 seconds and the lawyer is killed. Now injured, Bobby slowly makes his way to the next room, where he finds a copy of his own book with his signature. The book is missing its jacket cover and Bobby finally gets a hint of Jigsaw's identity.Not long after Bobby had published his book he held a book signing where fans told him of the inspirational change he had wrought on their lives. A man identifying himself as John asks him about that role and Bobby claims to be spreading a good message, but John implies that lying on public record is never justified. He takes the signed book but removes the jacket cover, claiming he does not need it and giving Bobby a meaningful look. The flashback ends and Bobby, chilled with the realization that he had met the Jigsaw killer himself, moves on to the next room.The third and final obstable is Bobby's friend Cale. He is on the other side of the room and blindfolded. The room lacks a floor and only has a few planks to grant its occupants movement, if they fall off the planks it could kill them. Hanging in the middle of the room is a key, the two men must meet halfway across the room so the key can unlock Cale's device because if time runs out Cale would be hanged. Bobby must guide the blindfolded Cale across the planks while he himself must move to the key. He talks Cale to a pretty close spot, grabs the key, tells Cale to keep his hands close to his body, counts to three and throws the key. It lands in Cale's hands but bounces off and lands on the floor. There is a split second of horror before Cale hangs and dies.The detectives are still busy investigating the junk yard when there is an explosion. Gibson orders everyone back until the bomb squad has combed the area for any more explosives. During that time, Hoffman sends an email to Gibson, video footage of himself demanding for Jill and vague clues pointing to the new game's location. A female cop traces the email to the junk yard while Gibson figures out where the game is being played and sends in a SWAT team.Back to the game, Joyce's chain has been gradually shortening, pulling her down to the ground. Bobby and Joyce finally see each other and interact before Billy returns. Billy says that changing Bobby would be akin to "pulling teeth", which is precisely what Bobby must do to reach his wife. Two of his own teeth which have been etched with the access code for a lock on the door, this time there is no hesitation, despite screaming and bleeding Bobby works on pulling his teeth out. At this time the SWAT team (Simon Northwood, Regan Moore, Danny Lima, Bryan Thomas, etc...) arrives to the building, following Bobby's trail and coming across the dead bodies. They hear Bobby screaming and tries to save the one survivor but fall into a trap, where they are subsequently poison gassed.Bobby succeeds in pulling his teeth and puts in the code. He is finally in the same room as his wife but she is surrounded by electric wires. To save his wife, the prize and trophy of his lies, Bobby must do what he falsely claimed he did in the book - impale his pectoral muscles with hooks, hoist himself high in the air and connect two three pronged electrical wires. His wife asks what this is about and he admits that he was not a Jigsaw survivor. With only four minutes left, he impales himself and starts hoisting. Bobby is able to haul himself up high enough, and he gets one plug in his hand, but as he is reaching for the second plug, the hooks rip through his skin and muscle. He falls onto the floor and time runs out. A metal cage closes around Joyce and is quickly lit on fire, in front of Gibson's eyes she burns to a crisp.Jill is in protective custody. At the junk yard, Gibson finds Hoffman's control room and discovers a body. The body is one of the victims of the junk yard trap and he realizes that Hoffman had been present during that investigation. He also recognizes the computer screens as monitors tapped into the police security system; Hoffman has been watching them the whole time. As Gibson realizes this, a machine gun pops up from behind a desk and does a 360 while firing bullets, killing Gibson and the cops he had explained his realizations to. Back at the police station, when a morgue tech (Carlos Díaz) opens a body bag, Hoffman sprangs up and stabs him in the neck. Hoffman breezes through security, killing all the cops in his way, and gets to Jill's cell. She stabs Hoffman in the neck and, after realizing that the place is locked, hides. This time Hoffman finds her and in the struggle, he bangs her head on the table three times to knock her out. He ties her to a chair and puts the original Reverse Bear Trap on her head, and it rips her jaw open and kills her.Walking out unchallenged, Hoffman returns to the hideout, where he gathers together all of his money and some forged ID papers before setting the place on fire; destroying all of the remaining Jigsaw equipment. As he walks out to his car, three figures in pig masks incapacitate him, and the ringleader turns out to be the mysterious man with a cane, the same man in those Jigsaw survivor meetings, finally revealled to be Dr. Gordon (Cary Elwes).He takes Hoffman to the bathroom from the first movie and chains him there. It is revealed that after amputating his foot and cauterizing the stump on the hot pipe so that he wouldn't bleed to death, Jigsaw nursed him back to health and rewarded him for winning his game by making him another apprentice. Dr. Gordon was, in fact, Jigsaw's most trusted apprentice, assisting with medical aspects of the traps. Dr. Gordon was also entrusted with Jigsaw's last wish-- to watch over and protect Jill, and if she is murdered, to see that her killer faces justice. Dr. Gordon takes the hacksaw away at the last moment before closing the door, preventing Hoffman from escaping the same way he did, leaving him to die. As he seals Hoffman inside what will become his tomb, Dr. Gordon closes the movie with the famous series tagline: "Game Over." | clever, revenge, violence, flashback | train | imdb | This movie was a huge letdown , publicity made me believe that this will be final piece of the puzzle which will connect all the previous movies, so i was at least expecting something more intelligent and a shocker twist of an ending, what we got instead seemed to be a rushed attempt to close all loopholes from the previous chapters.I followed this SAGA not just because of the gore but also the story which i thought would end in a very epic scale ,this final chapter just offered more gore and took the simplest and easiest way out of the story, It felt like wasting a 7 year long wait for a good ending and instead we get a mediocre and Pointless one..
Suffice to say, he (and his wife) quickly becomes the main plaything of this film's grand guignol torture play with 60 minutes set on the clock.Now, even with the requisite twists and better-than-expected inventiveness of its traps, "Saw 3D" does not deliver in the least with its titular promise -- it's 3D sets yet another low standard for the technology.
After so many films, so many traps, so much relentless violence and gore, it would be pointless to complain about the film's content, but beyond a few startling 3-D moments, and despite a relatively short running time, the whole thing feels like a prolonged, protracted, and downright boring exercise in this tired genre.
But much like its predecessors, it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger moment – leading us directly into Saw VII, or as it is more sadly referred to, Saw 3D.After barely surviving a trap meant to murder him, Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) is out for revenge on Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) ex-wife Jill (Betsy Russell).
But Hoffman is not just out for her blood – he has set-up a new game for Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery), a survivor of a Jigsaw trap and self-help guru.If that does not sound like much, it is because there is not much to Saw 3D.
So much was tied up, answered and completed in Saw VI that this film feels merely like a film going through the motions to what should be the finale of the series.Instead of focusing on any of these characters for longer than a few seconds at the time, the film pays attention mostly to Flanery's character and a new detective, Gibson (Chad Donella).
Each Saw film hinged on one or an assortment of characters going through some form of game set up by Jigsaw or Hoffman, but there was a grand purpose in the end for why they go through that struggle.
For a ninety minute film with numerous returning characters and just as appealing brand new characters, not to mention the burden of trying to keep originality with a redundant back-story, "Saw 3D" does pretty good given the obstacles it's forced to work with.
Since 2004 audiences have flocked to watch new victims meet their demise in an inventive and cruel way while relishing the inane plot twists and convoluted story, whilst others have condemned the series as "torture porn" and nothing but sick people coming up with sick traps for sick audiences.This latest entry stays true to its predecessors and delivers over-the-top, ultra-violent death scenes accompanied by a plot full of flash backs, surprise revelations and an overuse of the main theme.
I will say; however, that the film does end well, and the story is wrapped up fairly nicely with no obvious need for a sequel (as this is hopefully the "final" film).Overall the film is very much the same as Saw VI (2009) which was also directed by Kevin Greutert.
Do NOT expect something cool just because it was filmed in 3D, cos it ain't any better than the post-conversion films.On a final note, I have never been a huge fan of the Saw series, but looking back it has been an interesting ride.
As if the world, and all its doings, was something to cheerlead for.Anyway, Saw 3D purports to be the last in the series (the words 'chinny' and 'reckon' spring to mind for some reason) - more to do with failing box office receipts than anything approaching a conscience - so, as the vast iron gears of the Saw franchise finally grind to a halt (fingers crossed), let's strap on our plastic bibs and utility mittens and get through this, one more time.Those of you who've been following this torturous soap opera will know that the keeper of Jiggy's legacy, Detective Hoffman (the delightfully named actor Costas Mandylor), has torn himself out of his reverse bear trap and is presumably looking to kick seven shades out of John Kramer's treacherous widow Jill (Betsy Russell).
After Saw 3, fan base has slowly started to decline over the years, but fortunately with the help of Saw VI, and Saw 3D's brilliant director, Kevin Greutert, the saga has come to a brilliant, yet well-deserved ending.The acting has taken a tremendous leap from the previous films, and the traps .
In return, she requests protection.Meanwhile, the prominent Jigsaw survivor and leader of a support group Bobby Dagen (Sean Patrick Flanery) is abducted with his wife and friends and forced to play a mortal game to save his beloved wife and he.I hope that "Saw 3D" is really the last film of this violent franchise.
STOP RIGHT HERE, and I don't mean that nicely, because the film isn't even the least bit enjoyable to watch.Taking place where the last film left off, it shows the ever growing struggle between Detective Mark Hoffman (Played by Costas Mandylor), and Jill Tuck (Played by Betsy Russell), the latter of whom seeks protection from the police, as the two of them are engaged in a battle over the legacy of the late Jigsaw killer, John Kramer (Played by Tobin Bell).
Take a couple of dartboards, throw a dart at a board of random captives, a board of random traps, bring back previous cast members, heighten the blood and guts, add some more depth and exploration to John Kramer's back story, get lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington to feature in a cameo at the end of the film's first act, add in gimmicky 3D effects, and Voila!
You've got Saw 3D, the weakest and most generic installment of the series.This is not the fault of the actors, who honestly look like they're trying their hardest (Except for 2 or 3), but they can't elevate the film's screenplay, with logic gaps wider than ever, the dialogue too cheesy, and ridiculous narratives thrown in that don't even get much attention anyway, as they're overshadowed by the film's gore, which has become utterly repellent at this point of the franchise.
SAW 3D is the best final chapter of any horror film series.
Pros: A good storyline with plenty of twists.Some of the most creative traps to date.I really liked the scenes outside rather than always being set in the dark dingy rooms (excluding flashbacks) like in the other movies.Good ending.Cons: Some of the acting was a little off, Chad Donella (Who played Gibson) did not do a very good job, I sometimes could not tell if he was trying to be sarcastic or if it was just bad acting before including no...
Trap that aren't really original, 3d effect useless (don't go 3d if you can watch it 2d) and actor performance bellow expectations.If you loved the series, watch it cause you've been trough 6 movies so it's fun to watch how it ends, but you will be disappointed.4/10.
The utter frustration of watching these two poor saps trying to solve the mystery and get out of the room with their extremities intact was engaging enough without the need for downright ridiculous contraptions like those in Saw 3D.That being said, as bad is the supposedly LAST film in the series is, it will no doubt be better than the "reimagining" some exec will come up with five years from now in an attempt to relaunch the franchise.It's been done to death.
well that's it folks an end of an era in horror from 2004-2010 Halloween was special the saw films was so different from the typical horror cliché's and iconography of now a day's.SAW 3D was the best one for (i enjoyed all of them) the 3D wasn't great and was over advertised on the TV but what isn't apart from that the story wrapped up nicely and traps were gory ( not for the squeamish) and yet again very clever.
Fans of the Saw franchise like the realism of the blood and guts, but by using the pink it ruins it and takes away from the movie.
I don't know what some of the reviewers moan so much about...This is the type of movie that follows the motto "Expect the unexpected"...In a way I am upset with myself because a lot of time I have avoided watching a movie with a low rating on IMDb...For me this was pretty exciting...the traps were innovative, some of the scenes were incredible, the performance was pretty good especially by Costas Mandylor, the music was really nice...
Let's find out.Saw 3D (or The Final Chapter) follows Hoffman as he tries to get to Jill, Jigsaw's wife, as revenge for what happened at the end of the previous film, while a man who lied about being a "Jigsaw survivor" to become famous is tested.Let me start off by saying, this film is a mess.
It just frustrated me because every time I noticed it, it took me way out of the film.Overall, guys, Saw 3D: The Final Chapter is a disappointment.
While the acting, some story lines and the music are all as good as ever, the overall test, most of the traps, some of the characters and the pink blood really ruined the film for me, and made this a subpar ending to a pretty good film series.
I became a fan and went and watched the movies 4-6 every year and the purchased each one on DVD, and although the films got worse each year, I had faith that the final Saw would be amazing, tie everything together and end the series with a huge finale and twist.This was not the case at all, this is by far the biggest let down of a movie for me, out of every film I have ever seen, this disappointed me the most.
Thankfully, the movie wasn't as bad as SAW V, which somehow incorporated the power of friendship and team work in a universe like SAW's but still, I was expecting something great or epic since this would be the end of one of my favorite horror franchises.All in all, if all you want is some popcorn horror fun, go ahead; SAW 3D plays a lot like PIRANHAS 3D in the enjoyment factor.
The only thing which it carries from its prequels is amount of gore..and yes not to forget those traps...but it disappoints in the rest of the department...The story,screenplay,writing..everything is pathetic and it reaches to a limit from where it can't get worse...The way the series has been terminated....it could have been done easily in the 6th installment itself....but it appears that the makers just wanted to add some more money in their kitty...so they come up with it..
The 7th film in the never-ending Saw franchise follows Bobby Dagen, leader of a self-help group for 'Jigsaw survivors', as he is plunged in to another deadly game of life-or-death.
It shouldn't be any surprise to anyone that with sequels; more times than not..the more films of a (story) thrown at you that the story,plot,meaning just is diluted to the point where you question the reason why there was a sequel.The Saw series does this and goes an extra yard.The first Movie was gritty,suspenseful,gave the characters meaning...and of course had those interesting ways to torture a humans body that some people love to see.The films to follow ALL are just thrown together bits to trash that usually run about 90 minutes or more that make you scratch your head after you have spent a little portion of your wallet to watch them.Im not exactly sure what you would classify the Genre of what the Saw series is in...most likely horror of course...but ...the Saw series has tortured this genre and has sliced and diced its own reputation to bits.....
i know this was to carry the film along but i felt it took up too much of the film and all it offered was over the top gore.i don't want to give too much away but knowing Dr Gordon was back i thought it was going to be interesting, but i found his part too predictable to be true, i was still waiting for another twist afterwards only to find the credits.overall, if you like gore, this is in my opinion the goriest of the bunch, the traps were not all that great compared to all the others and the story was good but not good enough for the end of the saw legacy.i enjoyed it, but was disappointed so I'm giving this a 5/10..
It adds nothing to the story line, the characters and 1 dimensional and you don't care what so ever about them but it has some pretty interesting kills so it keeps your attention.However in the other saw movies all the blood and gore was actual make up and not CGI.
Well much hype was created about this movie,lemme tell ya this really lives upto the expectations.I reckon this is the 2nd best movie in the saw series just next to the first part.movie starts in a very cliché manner, but it really grips onto you in last 20-25 mins, and the climax is really interesting, they kept each and every small details of previous parts in mind.Some very brutal traps are also introduced but it hardly makes any difference while watching in 3D.
Mr. Greutert working with the films Saw a long time, it seems completely lost in their own tricks to earn for themselves and the company more money, so he closed his eyes with the writers on that story and his line are hidden deep in the traps and the various murders.
It laid the relationship with other characters, so he looks like a some others who nothing know about death and Jigsaw's games.And what disappointed most of all - it's the ending movie - its predictability.
There is nothing clever or imaginative about the traps and demises (a huge problem when the whole film was basically a series of them), no surprising or logical twists and the ending has to be one of the most anti-climactic ones in horrordom.Overall, what started as a promising franchise completely petered out in the flattest of ways here.
Saw VII is definitely one of the worst horror films ever,there was not one thing that I liked,other wise then that I thought the series was finally going to die of weakness,nope!
The last bastion of reason to watch a Saw film (those brutal trap scenes) are effectively ruined by the 3D.-Whereas I thought this movie was going to really wrap up the series in a meaningful way, it instead has its own plot line for 80 minutes and lazily wraps up the "big picture" stuff in the final 10.
This is a great, overly violent Saw to end this "enough is enough" franchise, but the overdone violence, in the nasty, and continual trappings, kind of detracts of takes away from the essence of the story, as if the 90 minute time frame is reliant on the gore, though I'm not complaining, I did love this Saw. Cary Elwes makes a guest appearances, limping his way through, his one loss of leg, making him one bitter dude over the years, like John Getz in The Fly 2..
SAW 3D brings a slowly declining franchise to an understandable and compelling close, at a time when even fans of the series were perhaps beginning to tire of Jigsaw's gruesome games.
(As the story goes, there was originally going to be two more "Saw" films, and their scripts had to be condensed into one when it was decided that this entry would be the final chapter.) The film does move a little too fast, and we don't get to spend quite as much time with the characters as we ought to.On the acting.
This was without a doubt the worst Saw film I have ever seen.I've been a fan of the Saw films since the start and while i think they should have ended it at the first, I've still managed to catch each one, each year, to see what kind of new ideas they have brought to the franchise.Unfortunately the ideas brought to this one were terrible.The trap in the opening scene was just ridiculous, a girl should die since she was been two-timing her boyfriend with some other guy.
So on the one hand, the movie ends the series in a satisfying manner, and that's good.On the other hand, the door is left ever so slightly open for more and more Saw films.
Without substance in the story or any of the new characters, this Saw has no real plot line to follow or development to undergo.It will be dubbed "one of the worst horror films of all time" for me.
Jill put Hoffman in a trap but he escaped from it.(GOOD TWIST,GOOD PLOT AND IT WAS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FROM SAW 5)NOW HERE COMES SAW 3D: -in saw 3d, huge side of the plot was talking about Bobby (he is a new character to the franchise) he has the main game in this movie, but we c bobby with jigsaw in a flashback only in ONE SCENE. |
tt0861739 | Tropa de Elite | Captain Roberto Nascimento (Wagner Moura), top member of BOPE, narrates the film, briefly explaining how the police and the drug lords of Rio de Janeiro cooperate with each other (policemen collect periodic bribes and drug lords are left free to operate) in the 1990s.
In 1997, in medias res, officer Captain Oliveira (Marcelo Valle) and his colleagues are shown driving through Morro da Babilônia towards a baile funk. Nascimento and his other colleagues are also shown in their armored car. Meanwhile, novice police officers André Matias (André Ramiro) and Neto Gouveia (Caio Junqueira) are shown riding a motorcycle at the same favela, though not with the other officers. Once they make it to a vantage point, Neto uses the telescope of a sniper rifle to check on the police team as they talk to some drug traffickers. Neto shoots one of them and provokes a deadly gunfight between police and thugs, both sides unaware of where the bullet came from, forcing Mathias and Neto to flee the scene. Nascimento leads his colleagues from BOPE, Rio Special Police Department, heading to the shootout to interfere and save the officers.
Six months earlier, Nascimento and his wife Rosane (Maria Ribeiro) are shown during her pregnancy of their first child. Not wanting to be an absent father when his child is born, Nascimento decides to search for a worthy successor for his position as a BOPE captain, since he will be promoted to lieutenant colonel. This coincides with an operation at Morro dos Prazeres set to secure the location and clean it of drug dealers during the visit of Pope John Paul II, who will spend the night in the Archbishop's home located near the slum buildings. Because the operation requires daily trips into the favela filled with heavily armed drug lords, Nascimento strongly opposes it, but is forced to accept it as his last mission by his superiors due to the Pope's regards and requirements.
Meanwhile, Neto and Matias debut as police officers. Both hold high moral grounds and rebuff everyday payoff offers, but are soon disillusioned to realize their superiors are corrupted. While Neto begins working as a supervisor at the police auto mechanic shop, in charge of the mechanics who are fixing run-down police cars and bikes with newer parts, Matias is responsible for registering and filing every police complaint in a small archive office with fellow other officers. Both share a small apartment in Rio and are long-time friends and flatmates.
Parallel to his work as a police officer, Matias attends Law school at "Rio's best new Law University" (according to Nascimento), where his classmates are usually wealthy youngsters that tend to see the police as a repressive institution, while others are selling marijuana around the campus. He soon befriends Roberta (Fernanda de Freitas), Edu (Paulo Viela) and Maria (Fernanda Machado) (whom he later dates), who are all members of a NGO that supports poor children from a local favela. Roberta dates Rodrigues, who helps Maria run the organization and represents a Senator who sponsors the NGO. The three smoke marijuana regularly provided by Edu, who serves as a drug dealer at the university. Edu is supplied and bossed by Baiano (Fábio Lago), the local drug lord of the Comando Vermelho, who allows the NGO to operate as long as it doesn't interfere with his business or bring police attention to his area. Aware of the NGO's and Maria's connections to the illegal drug trafficking and fearing for the life of Romerito, a boy who befriends him, Matias keeps his police career as a secret from his classmates.
Neto is soon tired of working at the autoshop, but fails to be transferred to another department. During a routine patrol with Captain Fabio (Milhem Cortaz), he learns about corruption schemes adopted by police officers, such as payment of periodic bribes by small shopkeepers in exchange for police presence in front of their spots, and a common "relocation of dead bodies" to other battalion's areas (in order to artificially decrease criminal statistics of one battalion and leave less work to its officers). Upon discovering this scheme, Matias maps and charts every crime committed or investigated in every battalion, but is berated by his superiors after presenting the report. Also, due to the government's budget deficit to provide tow trucks, the police hire private tows and pay for every towed car (towing vehicles had since become a lucrative activity and corrupt officers are shown to own tow trucks).
Looking to raise enough money to fix as many police cars as possible at once, Neto comes up with a plan to steal the bribes Oliveira collects periodically from the favela drug lords and asks Matias and Fabio to help him. Fabio declines, since he will not have a share in it. The duo succeeds in stealing the money and celebrate their success, but Oliveira finds out about their involvement and punishes them by demoting both to cooks at the battalion's kitchen. However, Oliveira believes they were carrying the task under Fabio's orders, and orders him to attend a false police report at the Morro da Babilônia during a baile funk. Realizing he is going to be killed, Fabio warns Neto and Matias, who follow him and arrive at the vantage point to protect Fabio (the first scene of the film). When one of the dealers touches his gun, Neto opens fire, provoking a gunfight between police officers and dealers. Fabio takes cover behind a bar and engages in a shootout with Olivera's men while his two protectors fight some of the heavily armed dealers with only two pistols, a rifle and a sub-machine gun, but quickly run out of ammo.
Meanwhile, Nascimento is confronted by a woman trying to locate her the body of her son, who worked as a lookout for the drug lords. She believes her son was murdered after being brutally interrogated and then released by Nascimento. In guilt and thinking of his unborn child, Nascimento gathers some officers and goes into the slum to look for the boy's body. During the search, Nascimento is informed of the situation at Babilônia and ordered to intervene. After rescuing the trapped officers at Babilônia, he meets Matias and Neto for the first time and orders them to help clean up the scene, during which Matias is unwittingly photographed by the press. Soon after, the two friends, along with Fabio, apply for BOPE's training program. Matias and Neto are motivated by their desire to be good and honorable policemen, while Fabio applies due to his fear of retaliation from Oliveira. Meanwhile, Rafael, Nascimento's son, is born.
At the NGO office, Baiano confronts Maria and her friends with a newspaper showing Matias's picture and accusing them of bringing a cop into his area. He threatens the group and instructs them to get rid of Matias as soon as possible, as he is distrusting of police officers.
Soon after, BOPE's training program takes place over a few weeks in the jungle. The course proves a tough challenge, since all enrolled officers are subjected to severe physical and psychological treatment and trained under extreme pressure. Nascimento explains that this is "in order to eliminate the weak and, mainly, punish the corrupt", leaving only the honest and tough officers. Many candidates quit the program, including Fabio after he gets foot fungus, but Neto and Matias reach the final level, where they are brought into Nascimento's final operation. To celebrate his approval, Neto gets a BOPE tattoo in his arm.
At the university, Matias is rejected by Maria and her friends after his exposure as a cop. All the same, Matias confronts Edu and orders him to arrange a meeting with Romerito, to whom he has promised to deliver glasses for eyesight problems. Because of the slum's dangers, Matias tells Edu he will meet Romerito at an arcade at the base of the slum to delive his glasses. However, upon returning home, Neto informs Matias that he arranged a job interview in a prestigious law firm that will conflict with his meeting with Romerito. Hoping to see his long-time friend succeed in a law career, Neto offers to deliver the glasses to Romerito in Matias' place.
Edu reveals to Baiano that he had been threatened by Matias, and Baiano decides to take revenge on Matias for getting his friend killed, as well as interrupting his operations. When Neto meets Romerito and delivers his glasses, he is ambushed and mortally wounded by Baiano and his men, but ultimately sees Neto's arm tattoo and realizes he is a BOPE officer. Aware that killing an elite officer will "sign his death sentence" (as narrated by Nascimento), he murders Roberta and Rodrigues for revenge and goes into hiding in another favela. Severely injured, Neto dies in the hospital.
Seeking revenge for his friend's death, Matias, as well as Nascimento and fellow BOPE officers, start making daily incursions into Baiano's slum to torture dealers into telling them of his whereabouts. When one of them reveals Edu tipped Baiano about Matias's meeting with Romerito, Matias ragefully interrupts a peace walk, beats Edu up and insults Maria and the others, accusing them of being spoiled hypocritical drug users working for a drug dealer to provide for their work.
In the final act, BOPE officers discover the exact location of Baiano and raid his hideout. Baiano tries to escape, but is shot in the chest while running through the rooftops. Nascimento holds him at gunpoint, but Baiano pleads to not shoot him in the face to secure "for the wake". Nascimento grabs a shotgun, hands it to Matias and tells him to shoot Baiano in the head, as a final test to ascertain Matias's worthiness as his true successor. Matias takes the gun, points to Baiano's face and cocks the slide after a brief hesitation. The screen cuts to black as a gunshot is heard. | violence, realism | train | wikipedia | The main plot revolves around the captain of an elite police unit trying to find a replacement for himself, while dealing with the birth of his child and the horrendous stress of his job, and a mission to clear out a dangerously violent slum.There are no wholly good people in the movie, and it's frighteningly easy to compare some of what goes on to things happening in the USA (and other places) today.
For anyone living in a 3rd country it's way more than that: it's a brutal picture of our degradation and corruption, a revelation that runs over you like a truck.The most striking aspect about the movie is how clearly it shows how everyone is at the same time guilty and victim in the whole war against drugs: the do-gooders NGOs, the politicians, the corrupt police and the not-corrupt but truculent "Elite Squad".
I don't like to give 10 ratings to movies, because it's hard to find a movie that is excellent, but this one is.While you watch the movie it's unavoidable to compare it to City of God (Cidade de Deus), and until the middle of the movie I was thinking to my self that City Of God was a better movie then this one, but when this movie ends and I summed everything I saw, it's was harder to choose one, but I believe this one is better, for several reasons.First of all this movie has a great story, and focuses on real life issues, I'm not from Brazil, but I know some of this stuff is true.
Prior to its theatrical release this October, "Tropa" was seen by an estimated record 11 million people who bought pirate DVD copies or illegally downloaded it on the net (the biggest Brazilian box-office success in the last 25 years was "2 Filhos de Francisco" with 5,5 million tickets sold).The reaction is passionately polarized: some call it the best Brazilian movie since "City of God" -- a definite influence here, in the cinematography, editing and screenplay structure, with an omniscient narrator and use of mixed chronology -- exposing the endemic corruption of Rio de Janeiro's police force and the "unorthodox" methods used by BOPE (the self-called "incorruptible" elite squad of Rio's military police force, created in 1978 and inspired by the U.S. SWAT) that include torture and shoot-first-ask-later modus operandi in the ultra-violent, ever-growing drug war in Rio's favelas.
Others have publicly attacked it as fascist in its glorification of BOPE, its sadistic depiction of torture and the reductionist, simple-minded vision of the complex issues involving violence/ drugs/police corruption in Rio. Director José Padilha and co-writer Rodrigo Pimentel (a former BOPE captain who left the squad for disagreeing with its praxis) had collaborated in the extraordinary "Bus 174", a multi-faceted documentary on Rio's violence.
It combines a discussion about the problem of violence in Rio de Janeiro, the police corruption and the society responsibility and, what is more important, Elite Squad is a terrific thriller: nervous, intriguing and entertaining.
Bráulio Mantovani, from City of God, wrote the screenplay and Daniel Rezend, also from CDD, is the editor (Both nominated to the Oscar).Above, one article about the film: "WASHINGTON (Reuters Life!) characters lie dead in the street within minutes of the opening of Brazilian director Jose Padilha's new film which he hopes will shed new light on gang violence and police corruption in his country."Elite Squad," which Padilha wrote with former Rio police officer Rodrigo Pimentel, follows two young Rio de Janeiro police officers as their fantasy of implementing law and order disintegrates into bloodshed and corruption.It details night raids through the makeshift homes of the city's hillside slums known as favelas, as well as the stark class differences that feed an appetite for riches among many of its poor residents.Padilha, 39, said he had originally hoped to use the information he received from Pimentel for a documentary but quickly realized that it would not be feasible."How would I do this, go to corrupt cops with cameras?" he asks.
"If I tried to make this film as a documentary, it would probably get me killed." Padilha, whose highly-acclaimed debut film "Bus 174" about a real-life bus hijacking in Rio was released in 2002, has strived to make the film as realistic as possible, shooting much of the film on the favelas' narrow streets."Elite Squad" is based on Pimentel's account of his tenure as captain of Rio's elite police force which has come under attack by Amnesty International for brutality.Like "Bus 174," it exposes the darker elements of Brazil that contrast vividly with the nation's colorful, extravagant Carnival celebrations.".
Despite all of the frenesi it's causing all around, it has a good storyline, excellent screenplay and a brilliant performance from all the cast in the movie, especially Wagner Moura who deserves all prizes he can get for this great performance.Basically the movie explores the fight between drug dealers and corrupt cops against the good policemen's, some of them from the military police force and most of them from BOPE.
The movie is shot like a documentary, many times in fact I felt like I was intrigued and interested on how and what the police does to get around the city.It is basically about the two main characters working their way up the police academy in Rio until they reach the BOPE unit.
Tropa de Elite is about a group of Rio de Janeiro cops that grow tired of the system and declare war against crime and corruption and literally aren't taking any prisoners to the point that you just can't help but cheer for BOPE no matter their brutal methods of interrogation.
Although an admittedly reactionary and authoritarian BOPE member, Captain Nascimento, narrates it, the film's primary criticisms are regarding low pay for police, systemic corruption, and, the middle class's irresponsible consumption of drugs.
Captain soon see that he have 2 good men in hands (they are infancy friends), 1 have heart and the other intelligence, but the substitute must have the 2 attributes.The movie have about 110 minutes and keep your eyes on the screen from the beginning to end (a lot of shoot out), and title in English is Elite Squad.Well i'll stop from here, but again, this is a must seen movie if you want to see a action movie in the real life, because we here in Rio de Janeiro live this, we see this, this is our war that is bit worse other wars..
I just love a good ol cops and robbers movie, and Elite Squad shows that it indeed is a generous cut above the rest, and along the way had snagged the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
On the surface, it looks very much like Hollywood's SWAT, but only much better, with its induction and training program where rookies get groomed from the mediocre to the cream of the crop in their attempts to join the BOPE, and on another level it tells of the friendship between two newcomers to the police force, where they're face with 3 options in an organization where corruption Is rampant join in, turn a blind eye, or wage war.
What I particularly liked his character was how he subconsciously turned into the stereotypical view the citizens have of the cops of being violent, unreasonable and corrupt, that save for the latter, he unwittingly becomes transformed into that mold, a disillusioned turn against his idealistic viewpoint of what a cop stands for, of becoming one of many misunderstood, honest cops.The BOPE are no angels, and are quite heavy handed in their ways, though one could also argue that extreme methods and operations are totally justifiable when in a "war zone" dealing with criminals armed to the teeth who have no hesitation to shoot first and to kill.
Given that this is set in the gritty streets of Rio de Janeiro, the shaky cam seems impossible not to be utilized, so if you're those who feel nauseous at the erratic movement of the camera, you might want to take the necessary precautions.For me, it's not often always to have a movie like this work on all fronts, from acting to action to a tightly designed and layered narrative.
From Brazil with fury: Tropa de Elite shows us, with realistic violence, all the horrors of the drug war in Rio de Janeiro "favelas" (slums).
It's really weird to see a movie with an impact and an intensity as big as in Tropa de Elite.This is an excellent film.The film exposes a valid and important message and I admired the professionalism showed on a lot of scenes.It's a real pleasure to watch a professional movie.Director José Padilha made a perfect work.His direction is precise and he could extract very natural performances from all the actors,who do not seem to be acting.The only fail I found on this movie is the ending which is pretty abrupt.In spite of that,I recommend Tropa de Elite with a lot of enthusiasm for many reasons,specially for being a professional movie which is not something we see everyday..
I liked each and every frame of their activities especially the training of the new recruits, that shows why they are so tough.Storyline is a narrative type narrated by Capitão Nascimento(Wagner Moura) who is the captain of the BOPE and a very good fighter and seeks a replacement.
But still i think we can justify their activities, because without such powers BOPE cannot fight against those heavily armed slums.The camera and lighting's are very good.It gives a real effect to the movie.There are a few shot from the sky showing the slums which is excellent.Anyway it is a must watch movie.You will surely enjoy this movie.If you have seen City Of God and liked it i am damn sure that you will really love this movie as i do.It is like City Of God taken from the other side(law enforcement side).You must really watch this movie, or else you are gonna miss something great..
When the "favela reality" movies seem to be running out of 'ideas' - trying to profit by copying the acclaimed "City of God" over and over -, director José Padilha (of the equally engrossing documentary "Bus 174") brings us "Tropa de Elite" ("Elite Squad"), the most controversial Brazilian film in a long time, having sold millions of pirated DVD copies even before its theatrical release (and still managed to become the biggest Brazilian movie event of 2007)."Elite Squad" shows the routine of a group of cops in Rio de Janeiro, and the inhumane training they have to go through in order to become a BOPE (Special Police Operation Battalion) captain, the policemen who are supposed to fight drug trafficking, in the rawest possible way.
1997, Captain Nascimento (Wagner Mouraw , this character was based on screenwriter Rodrigo Pimentel) has to find a substitute for his occupation while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope comes to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil .
The movie deals about BOPE , a Special Operations Squad similar to American SWAT and their fight against factions in Favelas Rio Janeiro .
I have watched over 100 films this year and this is in the top three I've stumbled across.The acting, cinematography, plot, characters and the way this unfolds, will be loved by any fans of the City of God. This is like a way way more realistic portrayal of why all this dreadful stuff keeps going on, seen from several sides of the conflict.The three main characters - Captain Niscamento of the Elite squad - paranoid, troubled, stressed but somehow holding it together.
Thought provoking, highly charged, and just about damn near pitch perfect, Elite Squad is a document about what goes on day in, day out in the "war" between the elite BOPE forces and the drug cartels, dealers,and dare I say, addicts within the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This movie is a must see for pretty much anyone (unless you only like comedies or something).Some people (human rights activists and critics mostly) have attacked the film for not portraying the truth about BOPE, and for glorifying violence and "fascism", but I don't think that is the message here.
It just is amazing the reality we face throughout the movie, the bitter realization of the lives of everyone involved : the people on the 'favelas', the trafficants, the drug-using middle class, the dirty cops, the honest cops, and mostly, BOPE."Tropas de Elite", or "Elite Squad" is the story of Capitão Nascimento - a BOPE Captain decided on leaving the Brigade after his wife got pregnant, but before he can do so, he needs to find a replacement, someone that can manage and cope with the responsibility and pressure of being a BOPE Captain.
It's also very thought-provoking due to the way we're shown the corruption of the system (in Brazil as it is on several other countries...), and the difficulties honest people (police in this case) have just with dealing with their own problems and situations.A MUST SEE for everyone that's into good movies.
A brutal, unwavering & violent dive into the criminal underworld existing within the slums of Rio de Janerio, Elite Squad is a semi-fictional account of Brazil's own SWAT team, known as BOPE, and while the film became a cultural phenomenon in its country during its time of release, I fail to see anything that's so impressive about it.Set in the late 1990s, Elite Squad (also known as Tropa de Elite) follows the leader of Rio de Janerio's Special Police Operations Squad who is looking for his replacement as he intends to retire from the field soon and take the job of training new recruits.
But his final operation requires him to take down drug dealers & criminals in the slum area before Pope's arrival in Brazil.Co-written & directed by José Padilha, there isn't much wrong with the singular aspects here for the direction is pretty good, screenplay does put up some interesting characters on screen, and its raw handling of its subject matter does evoke a gritty feel but what the film lacks is a proper presentation for the whole picture has a messed-up structure which makes it very difficult to follow.Set pieces & locations do give this story the atmosphere required to set the desired mood, Cinematography encapsulates the film with a crude, unrefined layer but its poor execution of hand-held camera-work does hurt it at times.
Tropa de Elite plays out like a fascist recruitment video.My main problem with this film comes from its exploitation of a real world problem, and creating a loud, violent action movie, and welding it to a pro-authority message.The film is shot in a manner similar to other recent Brazilian crime fair, but instead of the bursting intensity of City of God, the directors shoot in drab colours, with a drab lead, expounding a far from subtle, and rather sinister, social message.Although its quick, chopping editing should suggest urgency, we are left with a barely passable story of characters strewn together, in a bumbling action thriller..
The scene was also perfect!Basically the movie describes the fight between drug dealers and corrupt cops against the good police officers, some of them from the military police force and most of them from BOPE.
This movie told about elite squads of police officers, BOPE as like as SWAT in America perhaps.
This movie shows police officers in Rio de Janeiro who, even making little money and been poorly equipped, choose to risk their lives in the war against drug traffic, instead of become corrupted or stay away from problems, like many others.
Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad) tells the story of honest policemen of an Elite Squad called BOPE (Batalhão de Operações Especiais - Special Operations Squad) of the Rio de Janeiro police.It tells about the pervasive corruption of the regular police, its commanders and the politicians who want money to finance their campaigns.According to the principle that states that the supply only exist because of the demand, the film criticizes the students, specially the left-winged ones, who say they care about the poor people that live on the favelas (very poor houses on Rio de Janeiro hills), which are dominated by the powerful drug dealers, but like to buy drugs from them to "get high".
This Brazilian masterpiece, based on the book Elite da Tropa from several Brazilian authors, presents us a Brazilian social system and the special police of the federal state of Rio de Janeiro through the eyes of the main character and narrator, Captain Nascimento.
A script that talks about traffic, crime and favela by a different angle, the angle of the police, more specifically the BOPE, a special regiment of the military police, who tells us the story is Captain Nascimento, who mixes with the story of Mathias and Neto, young honest police officers who seek to fight organized crime, the elite troop script is accurate, but not perfect, it has many parallel plots that end up not being deepened, but it has a great construction of characters besides being brutally honest , even sometimes abusing scenes and phrases of effect - which eventually made the movie explode on its release.
Yes I know that that was part to see the transformation of their characters but they shouldn't have been so nice at first.This movie is about how two honest rookies policemen, who get in a special police unit that attacks drug dealers in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, and the police who is going to be their boss in this "tropa de elite".I recommend you to watch this film because is entertaining and maybe you will learn some things that you didn't know about our societies..
Brilliant acting and scene, it portrays the life of a member of BOPE, a special tactical team like America's SWAT, which is in charge of confronting the drug-dealers when the city police can not control them.I strongly recommend this movie for everyone who enjoys real action movies. |
tt0090056 | Spies Like Us | Set in the Cold War Era anti-communist USA, this spy parody brings to light the differences and similarities between the USA and the USSR. Fitz-Hume (Chase), a Press Representative for the US State Department is a lazy womanizer with the gift of gab. Millbarge (Aykroyd) is a code breaker and language expert with US Intelligence who has been kept in the basement (literally) while others prosper on his talents. Sent to take a government skills test, the two are caught cheating and soon find themselves on a top secret government assignment in order to save their jobs. The two are teamed up, sent to an accelerated covert operations training camp and become GLG-20s (international covert operatives). The two are then sent to the Soviet-Pakistani border where they must make their way on the road to Dushanbe and to their final assignment. Comic misadventures follow the two on their way until they meet up with the real GLG-20s. Millbarge and Fitz-Hume discover they were decoys and they must decide if they should go through with their final mission, or defy their handlers who deceived them.===============================================================================Somewhere in a frozen forest, a missile on a portable launch gantry breaks through the trees. Surrounding it are guards in white snow-camouflage uniforms. The emblems on their uniforms suggest they are Soviet troops.Above the Earth, a spy satellite films the operation, beaming photographs down to Washington DC. At the Ace Tomato Company, an agent takes the photos out of a produce storage warehouse in a briefcase chained to his wrist. He drives to a private mansion where two men, Ruby and Keyes, study the photos -- after they lock the agent in a small hidden closet when they discover they don't have the key to his handcuff. Two generals, Sline and Miegs, meet with Ruby and Keyes and determine that the missile will be a workable scenario for a mission they have planned. They want to send in two covert operatives, GLG-20 level agents, to seize control of the missile. However, they also know that the mission will be extremely dangerous and they'll need two more GLG-20s to act as decoys. Ruby and Keyes agree to recruit two more agents.Across town, in the US State Department, a government diplomat, Emmet Fitz-Hume, irresponsibly watches a movie starring President Ronald Reagan. His coworker asks him if he plans to take the Foreign Service Board exam. Fitz-Hume says he's going to take it but shirks his responsibility to study for the test.In a basement chamber underneath the Pentagon, another government operative, Austin Milbarge, an expert code-breaker, is visited by his Air Force supervisor, who only keeps him around to do his work for him. Milbarge knows he's eligible to take the Foreign Service Board exam and leaves, hoping to get away from his supervisor.Milbarge and Fitz-Hume report for the examination. Fitz-Hume wears an eye patch and a cast on his left arm and, after a failed attempt to bribe the proctor, uses crib notes he's attached to his eye patch and hidden in his mouth and the cast to cheat. He also enlists the help of Milbarge when he doesn't know the meaning of the acronym "KGB." Fitz-Hume then feigns a nervous breakdown and pretends to have a heart attack. Milbarge jumps to his aide; their antics are captured on film.The two later meet with Ruby and Keyes who tell them that despite their behavior in the examination room, they're going to be promoted to GLG-20-level and sent into training to become foreign agents. They are flown to a training facility and pushed out of an airplane, landing in a forested area. They are met by a small group of ninjas. Fitz-Hume tries humorously to negotiate with the assassins, while Milbarge grabs a branch and prepares to defend himself. However, the ninjas are actually part of a exercise conducted by their training officer, Colonel Rhombus, to assess their capabilities. The two continue their training and continue to be screw-ups, at one point wishing to be discharged. However, they are eventually sent on another plane to Afghanistan.Arriving at a remote village, they are met by two American attaches from the US embassy. While they ride with their escorts across the desert, Milbarge notices that one of them wears a Russian wristwatch. Demanding a bathroom break, he takes Fitz-Hume with him away from the jeep and tells him that the men are imposters. They suddenly run into the two men. The attaches ask them to reveal the names and locations of their contacts. Milbarge tricks the two men into speaking Russian and they are able to subdue them and escape in the jeep. They arrive at another village, this time run by the Afghani mujaheddin. They are initially taken prisoner and hung upside-down, however, they are discovered by a British doctor, Jerry Hadley, who mistakes them for two additional doctors. They are taken to a tent and introduced to an entire medical team who are assisting the mujaheddin while they battle the Soviet-occupying armies. Milbarge is believed to be a prominent surgeon and a woman doctor, Boyer, asks him to perform an appendectomy on the khan's ailing brother. During the surgery, while Milbarge stalls for time, the khan's brother suddenly dies on the table. The remaining mujaheddin chase them through the desert after they steal a small van and they are eventually able to throw off their pursuit.In another small village, Milbarge and Fitz-Hume call Ruby and Keyes, asking the name of their next contacts and their next destination. Ruby tells them to look for their next contact on the Dushanbe Road in Tajikistan. The two buy winter clothing and hike there, finding the road. While they wait for their contacts, they are found by a Tajik patrol. Milbarge runs off while Fitz-Hume surrenders. While Milbarge hikes into mountains, looking for transport, he hears shots. Nearby, Hadley and Boyer have been discovered by another Tajik patrol on horseback and in a furious gunfight, Hadley is killed. Milbarge finds Boyer. When he introduces himself as a GLG-20, Boyer tells him that he and his partner were meant to be decoys. Milbarge is furious but realizes he can't leave Fitz-Hume in the hands of the Tajiks. He borrows one of the horses and Boyer's MAC-10 pistols, he raids the camp where Fitz-Hume is being held and interrogated by the Soviet agents they'd escaped in the desert. The two are able to escape and rejoin Boyer.At a remote drive-in theatre in the American West, Keyes and Ruby enter a top-secret military facility run by Sline and Miegs. The facility houses a sophisticated anti-missile base called WOMP. They await contact from their agents in the Soviet Union.Moving further into the Pamir Mountains, the three hear music, which Milbarge identifies as the song "Soul Finger" by the Bar-Kays. In a small valley below them, they find the Soviet missile emplacement (from the first scene). Milbarge remarks how the guards are isolated, having not set up any sort of communications equipment. Boyer reveals her plan; they will take the missile site by force. Though Fitz-Hume and Milbarge are initially reluctant to approach the nuclear warhead, she convinces them with a stirring speech. She gives them dart-guns that will incapacitate the guards.Milbarge and Fitz-Hume decorate their winter-weather gear to look like alien visitors. When they are able to get close enough to the guards -- who are actually a family -- they shoot them with the darts, knocking them all out. They then communicate with Sline and Miegs, who give them instructions which launch the missile. As the missile circles the Earth, Sline and Miegs activate WOMP, which sends a giant laser blast into space that bounces off several giant mirrors attached to satellites. At a crucial moment, the laser blast misses the nuclear warhead. Ruby and Keyes are horrified, knowing that a strike on a United States city will result in all-out nuclear war. Sline and Miegs tell them that nuclear weapons that go unused are a waste and their plan all along was for the world to destroy itself.Back at the missile site, the Russian family berates the Americans for launching the missile without provocation. The group breaks off into couples, Fitz-Hume and Boyer both join up, and wait for the inevitable destruction of the world. As the warhead streaks toward Detroit, Milbarge suddenly has an idea: he can rewire Boyer's satellite communication box and reverse the coordinates to redirect the missile out into space. The plan works, the missile flies above the Earth and detonates.At the WOMP facility, armed troops suddenly burst in. Sline and Miegs are arrested for conspiracy and Ruby and Keyes both try to babble their way out of the predicament.In Washington, Fitz-Hume and Milbarge engage in unilateral disarmament talks with the Russian family. In actuality, they are playing a variation of Trivial Pursuit with small missiles on a board of the world. The Russians fail to answer a question about American rock n' roll correctly and they lose their missile sites in Eastern Europe. | humor | train | imdb | null |
tt0081070 | The Long Good Friday | A shady character, Colin (Paul Freeman -Raiders of the Lost Ark), carrying a suitcase of money pockets a couple handfuls of cash before making the delivery. In a country farmhouse the three men dividing the money in the case are attacked by gunmen. Outside a pub Colin's accomplices are abducted and killed. Colin is later murdered at a swimming pool.The leading gangster in the London underworld (Harold Shand - Bob Hoskins in his breakout movie role) is forming an alliance with a group of rich, shady Americans to fund the very profitable London docklands development of the 1980s.On Good Friday while Shand's mother attends church, her waiting driver is killed when her car explodes. The news of this is an outrage to Shand who is shocked at the declining code of conduct among the underworld. This decline parallels the decline of his empire throughout the film. He is given 24 hours to fix the situation or the Americans will walk away from the deal.Shand is further unnerved at the news of his friend Colin's murder as well as the discovery of a bomb (which fails to detonate) at his casino. He covers up Colin's murder, the car bomb, and the later explosion of a restaurant where he is about to dine. He frantically rounds up and coerces informants and underworld bosses in an attempt to discover who is behind these events and what they want. He is brutal but he believes his behavior is within civilized boundaries.Throughout he laments the decline of neighborhoods, respect for the church, respect for his power, England's economy, and honor among thieves. At the same time he professes to be appreciative of history, of what has been great about England, and is driven to build great things on the site of now idle dockyards.Shand finds out that the bombings are caused by the IRA in revenge for Colin's having stolen the relatively small sum of 5,000. We also learn that the three men from the farmhouse at the beginning were also IRA. The IRA has connected Shand to Colin even though Colin was moonlighting as a courier without Shand's knowledge. Shand's top man tells him there is no fighting the IRA as they don't care about money ("they're fanatics") and that even if you kill them dozens more will always be ready to take their place. The IRA is taking over his empire and there is nothing he can do about it.In a last attempt to end the fight Shand meets with the IRA under pretense of paying them off with 60,000 but he murders them instead. However, the Americans walk away from the deal anyway, dismissing Shand as a gangster. Shand lectures them on how they have no guts or vision and that he will deal with the Germans instead and not be stopped by them. But Shand is abducted by the IRA as he leaves the meeting and his downfall is complete. | comedy, neo noir, murder, realism, cult, violence, plot twist, revenge | train | imdb | He's on his own with two or three of his most trusted accomplices attempting to discover what the hell's going on and this is very interesting as we find out what they find out, and at the same time as they do creating a nice, steady, plodding feeling of consistency.As the battles and discoveries occur whilst the film wears on, numerous desperate situations are dragged out in a gritty and entertaining way such as Harold's relationship with his girl that is starting to fall apart amongst the terror and confusion, the personal battle with the American businessmen who foil Harold on several occasions and the question marks that arise over loyalties within his own organisation, as well as disagreements with his crooked policeman colleague and rival gangs.
Our anti-hero gets more and more angry and each scene gets more and more intense, culminating in pure chaos at a race car track and a monologue of insults at the American's who, up to this point, have had Harold and his outfit rolling over for them.With strong acting performances all round and an impressive, well paced plot; The Long Good Friday has managed to sneak into my personal favourites list and definitely withstands the test of time..
After watching the film after a good many years it still holds the power to shock, amuse and thrill.Bob Hoskins pulled off a performance comparable to James Cagney's tour de force in 'White Heat' as the tough London gangster whose empire starts to tumble, as he's trying to seal a massive development deal with the aid of the US Mafia in London's Docklands.Helen Mirren gives an impressive performance as Hoskin's love interest, who basically calls the shots in Hoskin's organisation almost as much as he does.
One of the most memorable of the support cast is Derek Thompson, who would later go on to play Charlie Fairhead in BBC's long running 'Casualty' drama, who takes the 'Introducing' credit.Also, look out for the actor who played 'Denzel' in Only fools and Horses, and a mute role for Pierce Brosnan before he went to the States to play Remington Steele.A fine film, thats quick in pace, and excellently directed by John McKenzie, who will probably be always most remembered for this film..
The gangster world is not glamour, it's not a world we should dream about being in.This film is gritty and realistic, it's one of the best pictures ever to be released from the U.K. Bob Hoskins is in terrific form here, so damn perfect.
There are a few faces which you'll recognise, most of them appeared in famous British Television dramas!The film setting is gritty and shows the real London underworld in the early Thatcher years.The direction is confident as is the script, and by the end you'll realise that they had guts!
Very much in the tradition of the American gangster films of the 30s and 40s, this movie centres around a bravura performance by the central gangster (Edward G Robinson/James Cagney then; Bob Hoskins now).
A London gangster boss takes a short break abroad and returns to find someone has it in for him.The film that took Bob Hoskins from minor British actor to Hollywood and the rest of the cast back to mainstream British television.
The setting of London gives it novelty and like all British pictures it has an array of small parts played with gusto by local actors.The film seems to borrow from real events (at one time the Mafia did want to bring gambling junkets over to London) but is mostly a work of fiction.
Forget Lock Stock and the rest of Guy Ritchie's overrated rubbish,this is a real British gangster film.Great performances by Hoskins and Mirren and great support from a variety of dodgy looking geezers from TV.
"The Long Good Friday" is about a London crime boss, Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins), who on the brink of his greatest triumph, runs into a series of hostile actions by unknown enemies which bring down his enterprise and, at the end, seem likely to cost him his life.
Viewers have no doubt seen Hoskins in this kind of role before or since "The Long Good Friday," but -- as far as I know -- they've never seen Helen Mirren in anything like the role she plays here.
The Gangster film is certainly a genre that has brought forth more than a few great films, and John MacKenzie's breathtaking British Gangland Thriller "The Long Good Friday" (1980) must be one of the grittiest, exciting, most outstandingly acted and greatest specimen of all-time.
In one of the most charismatic criminal performances ever, the great Bob Hoskins plays Harold Shand, a rich and powerful London crime boss, who is about to make a lucrative deal with the American mafia, when he and his associates are suddenly victims to brutal attacks by phantom enemies starting on Good Friday.
Bob Hoskins delivers one of the most charismatic performances I have ever seen in the role of gangster Harold Shand.
"The Long Good Friday" is a Gangster film as they should be: gritty, violent and uncompromising, incredibly stylish without being glorifying, brutal and sometimes disturbing; a masterpiece.
The Long Good Friday is a British gangster picture that owes more to the Paul Muni and Edward G Robinson pictures from the golden age than something like The Godfather.
Where the characters are men of the street, working class villains who literally could be living around the corner from us, their respective antics giving them a reputation as infamous stars to be feared, and grudgingly admired.What many modern day film lovers may not be aware of is that The Long Good Friday had its release delayed, held back a year as Margaret Thatcher and her merry men frothed at the mouth due to the films portrayal of the Irish Rebublican Army.
This is one of the chief reasons that lifts The Long Good Friday high above many of its contemporaries, it may be a simple story, but it's not merely about two gangs striving for power on one manor!.Barrie Keeffe's script positively bristles with a hard bastard edge, some of the set pieces play out as true Brirtish greats, once viewed they are not to be forgotten.
Helen Mirren is fabulous as Harold's wife, Victoria, loyal and unerringly calm in the face of the madness unfolding, the supporting cast are also highly effective, with a cameo from Pierce Brosnan that is icy cold in making its point.Perhaps now it feels like The Long Good Friday is only of its time, and it may well be that it's only British viewers of a certain age that can readily embrace the all encompassing thread of gangland London at risk from insurgents.
While a very intelligent and well scripted film, the action is intense, the body count high and the violence more graphic than is usual for a British film of its era.The central character in this crime drama is Harold Shand, a highly successful East End gangster who has just returned to London after a business trip to the U.S. Upon his return he finds his mob under attack, several of his employees killed and his organization the target of an unknown foe.
This may leave him exposed as, like most movie gangsters, his arrogance and belief in his own invincibility are what will bring him down.Bob Hoskins, in his first starring role, plays Harold in a performance that conjures up images of other little big men of the silver screen like Edward G.
In this case, we have Bob Hoskins, whose performance is so powerful that it will be the only thing you remember, except for a vague picture of Helen Mirren looking exquisite but uncharacteristically bland.
Bob Hoskins plays an old school East End Villain at the point where his long built up empire is collapsing and his stubborn refusal to accept this leads to ever more desperate and violent attempts to stem the inevitable which perfectly portrayed making this a must see for anybody who is a fan of gritty, powerful and sometimes violent gangster films..
The Long Good Friday, with Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren introduces us to characters I won't soon forget.
The rest of the cast is truly excellent also from Helen Mirren's performance as Shand'sbusiness-like wife, to PH Moriarty's role as one hell of an enforcer aptlynicknamed "razors", this movie really does send a chill down your spine.
Superb gangster film with a top-of-range acting by Bob Hoskins and brilliant Helen Mirren as his sexy mistress.
Entrepreneur Harold (The part of Harold Shand was written specially for Bob Hoskins), an underworld boss , is about to close a lucrative new deal with American mobsters (Eddie Constantine , Anthony Franciosa was originally cast as the Mafia boss Charlie but left after three days filming, claiming to be annoyed with the script alterations) when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places...
Breakthrough film role for British actor Bob Hoskins , giving a terrific acting .
This is one of the rare movies where you learn what's the major issue along with the main character and this is a good 45 minutes into it at least.The film opens with a lengthy sequence of scenes strung together by Francis Monkman's excellent score.
He launches an investigation and needless to say, things are a surprise to him.What makes this film interesting is Bob Hoskins' portrayal of Harold Shand.
In The Long Good Friday, it was something else entirely but no less important to what the landscape of London looked like in the late 70's and early 80's A young Pierce Brosnan has a dialog free role but no less important to the story.
Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins) is a successful London gangster aspiring to be a legitimate owner of the abandoned Docklands for a casino and other developments with American mafia money.
Sure, he responds with machetes, but the point is the script delves into vulnerable places that lesser gangster movies wouldn't dare.It might not have the grim grit of the likes of Get Carter (although one particular death is genuinely shocking), but for me Good Friday's more self-deprecating tone gives it the edge, and a timelessness that elevates this made-for-TV-for-under-a-million movie to classic status.
It is epic in scope, and brutal in its narrative - following the rise and inevitable fall of a gangster, Harold, played with some kind of fury by Bob Hoskins in one of his most unforgettable roles.
The British crime lord (Bob Hoskins) with his smarter half (Helen Mirren) are playing to make billions in redevelopment projects by going in with the Americans.
The Long Good Friday is an excellent British entry in the gangster genre, with great performances by Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren.
This has to be one of the best Brit gangster films to come out of the UK and is lead by a towering performance from Bob Hoskins."Ya don't go blowing people up outside a church...not on Good Friday!" There are some funny realistic lines in this sometimes violent film and it also shows the death of the old London society.
The director told Bob in this scene to just think of that his character has gone through to that point.A classic piece of work.K. Triumphant British Gangster Film.
I rewatched this for the first time in 15 years last night (on Film 4) intending to watch just a few minutes to stir my memory (I had an early start today) and couldn't tear myself away for the whole film.It probably helps to have grown up in the UK in the 80s because as well as being a very straight gangster film it has a great deal of period context that others will miss (cf the obvious comparison Get Carter which has lots of seedy-1970s-provincial-corruption context).
Certainly people like some of the commentators here who "watch gangster movies for gratuitous violence and topless molls" will be disappointed.As for "it's dated and has a cheesy 80s soundtrack".
This isn't Miami Vice.Anyway, apart from the excellent script and acting and very British understated camera work and directing (it makes Get Carter almost look flashy) it has hidden depths if you know the period and context.My favourite being that as the mystery unfolds, people keep warning Shand that he shouldn't take on his unexpected opposition because "they aren't interested in money, Harry, they're political!".
The Long Good Friday will go down, or should, as one of the all time great gangster movies.
Razors, or as the youth of the day call him, "The Human Spirograph", is one of the most menacing bodyguards I've ever seen.The accents are a bit hard to understand at points to those of us here in the US ('ands across the ocean!), but it adds to the authenticity and helps make this movie stand out from the typical Hollywood gangster film.
all at the same time just completely liking the character they have created.Helen Mirren is very sexy in this movie and she plays her role perfectly...
Hoskins acts more in the final two minutes of this movie than in the rest of his career put together.What makes The Long Good Friday so special, (apart from stylish, but not ostentatious, direction and a superb theme score) is its variation on the typical crime theme.
But it also reveals how versatile genre is, and so we have the best ever critique of Thatcherism (with Harold Shand an embodiment of entrepeneurial culture, beset by the same problems that would dog the Tories (IRA, Americans, drugs etc), but also a hangover from the Welfare State in his misplaced loyalties - this schizophrenia tears him apart); a great London film, with an insightful sense of change and place, and meanings bound up in different spaces; and an extraordinary character study cum love story, which becomes an existential journey in the Bressonian mould.
It's also the height of the IRA bombings around Britain at that time.Starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren (most of the rest of the cast have fallen away on the side lines and joined the ranks of the ITV's police series 'The Bill'); although it is surprising to see a young Pearce Brosnan appear as (in many ways) a mute Irish terrorist/assainian.
At times it almost feels like your watching an repeated episode of 'The Bill'; (British readers will understand what I'm talking about).But the one thing that places 'the icing on the cake' is the final scene in which Hoskins' wordless and astounding performannce concludes the film.
The film costars Helen Mirren and features a young Pierce Brosnan in a blink- and-you'll-miss-it role.Those in my generation will remember Bob Hoskins as the gruff private dick Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
Certainly, the film does, in parts, look rather more threadbare than contemporary U.S. productions, but it doesn't matter anymore: the Brits had finally evolved their own style.Central to the film in every way is (the now late) Bob Hoskins whose character, gang leader with ambitions Harold Shand, finds his well-ordered world and criminal empire unravel in just 48 hours.
'The Long Good Friday' is a perfectly dated late 70's/early 80's British Gangster flick staring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren.
So I just saw the classic British gangster flick "the long good Friday" from 1980, starring Bob Hoskins and a very cute Helen Mirren.
I have always been a fan of British gangster flicks, I don't know if it is the accents or the propensity for violence mixed with smart dialog, but everything from "sexy beast" to one of my favorite films of all time "lock stock and two smoking barrels" I find just wonderful.
Considering the fact that i love gangster movies , its a bit surprising that i had never got around to seeing one of Britain's most famous gangster films in The Long Good Friday.The first thing i noticed about this movie is the vast amount of well know British actors who were big in the 70's & 80's , who pop up in it.
Apart from the obvious Bob Hoskins , there is the likes of Helen Mirren , Pierce Brosnan and Kevin McNally , to name but a few.The second thing is , is that this film looks extremely dated but not in a bad way.
It reminded me of when i was 12 living in London (story aside).The film itself was not nearly as good as i was hoping but i would imagine , 30 years ago , there had been nothing like this on the British Cinema scene since maybe the like likes of " Get Carter".Bob Hoskins was really good and pretty much steals the show and the violent scenes are quite extreme even for a film if it was released today.I can totally see why people look back at this film with such affection , i just wish i had seen this back in the day..
It draws some comparisons to classic and contemporary gangster movies, especially Get Carter with Michael Caine, but Bob Hoskins' performance takes it beyond others in its genre.
Brilliant direction from John Mackenzie from a good script by Barrie Keeffe, It captures early eighties Britain and Thatcherism at a time when money and power where wanted by everyoneOne of Bob Hoskins best performances with great support from Dererk Thompson and Helen Mirren.
As for this film's story Hoskins, as "Harold Shand," is ably cast the boss of the docks in London.
I also love the romantic view of London in this film, and Bob Hoskins was so great in his role..
Bob Hoskins is a tough as nails gangster in The Long Good Friday, a British gangster movie set in 1970's London.
This movie is probably one of the most slept on films ever not just in the gangster genre as it is a true classic The story is about Harold Shand(Bob Hoskins)in what is considered his breakthrough role as king of the underworld & gangland empire in London.
Great performances by the main cast members Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. |
tt2263944 | Dragon Ball Z: Doragon bôru Z - Kami to Kami | The film begins with the awakening of Bills, the God of Destruction. As he has his breakfast, his valet Whis enquires as to why he has awoken ahead of his schedule. Bills explains that hed had a dream of fighting a warrior called a Super Saiyan God. He confirms this dream with a visit to the Oracle Fish, who had predicted the battle (although the Fish cant remember the prediction, she agrees with Bills to avoid trouble).Bills and Whis first head to King Kais planet, where they meet Goku. Goku doesnt know anything about Super Saiyan God, but begs for an opportunity to spar with Bills. An amused Bills agrees, and to everyones shock he defeats Goku in two moves. He then concludes that Goku is not the Super Saiyan God, but heads to Earth to inquire about the other remaining Saiyans. King Kai sends a message ahead to Prince Vegeta, warning him that Bills is on his way to Earth and that not even Goku could stand against him.Meanwhile, on Earth its Bulma Briefs birthday party and everyone has come to celebrate it. Amidst all the festivities, the Pilaf Gang (enemies from Gokus childhood) sneak in to steal the Dragon Balls, enchanted heirlooms of Gokus family that grant your hearts desire. They are caught, but everyone assumes they are putting on an act and play along. Meanwhile, Videl is hiding a big secret from her husband Gohan...Amidst all this, both Vegeta and Bills and Whis arrive at the party. Vegeta immediately sees that Bills is a serious threat and tries to steer him away from the party, but Bulma invites him over to enjoy himself. Although Bills doesnt find any Super Saiyan God on Earth either, he consoles himself with the delicious food provided at the party. He then tries to sample some pudding, but Majin Buu eats it all up; this finally causes Bills to lose his temper and he swears to destroy the Earth. All the Z-Fighters engage Bills, but he defeats them effortlessly. Bulma slaps Bills for ruining her birthday and he slaps her back; this enrages Vegeta and he assaults Bills, but even he is beaten down by Bills.Just when all is lost, Goku arrives on Earth. Instead of a fight, he asks Bills for some time as they try to find the Super Saiyan God for him. He gathers the Dragon Balls and summons the Dragon Shenron, to wish for the Super Saiyan God. Shenron however cannot grant this wish: he explains it is a bygone power. On the Saiyans homeworld, five Saiyans transferred their power to one, creating a Super Saiyan God. This proved to be a divine mode that defeated evil, but was temporary and only lasted for a short while and fell into obscurity.Goku and the other Saiyans (his sons Gohan and Goten, and Vegeta and his son Trunks) try to form the Super Saiyan God, but nothing happens. Whis (who is sampling Earth food throughout the film) works out that Shenrons words were misinterpreted: for five Saiyans power to flow into one, they need SIX Saiyans. Videl solves this dilemma by revealing her secret: she is pregnant with Gohans daughter Pan. Now with the sufficient number, Goku gets a power transfer from the other five Saiyans and achieves Super Saiyan God!Bills and Goku have their long-awaited fight, but despite Goku giving his all Bills still manages to dominate him. He eventually tells Goku to admit defeat, and Goku does. Bills however admits that Goku gave him quite a fight, and lets him in on a secret: his valet Whis is his trainer and is a far better fighter than him. He also reveals another secret: there are 12 universes, of which the one they are residing in is the seventh there are bound to be greater sights and fighters beyond this universe, and in the next ones.A victorious Bills returns Goku to his friends, and proclaims that he shall now destroy the world... and obliterates a few feet of earth. He states hell come back and do the rest later, to Gokus delight and everyones relief. He apologizes to Bulma for slapping her and asks that she invite him to another party (and that there be pudding provided there). Bills and Whis return home, and Whis provides Bills with some wasabi sauce to taste. Its too hot for Bills and it drives him wild, forcing Whis to knock him out. Whis orders him to wake up in three years...The film ends with everyone on Earth returning to Bulmas party. Vegeta swears he will be the Super Saiyan God mode next time and Goku agrees, joking that Bulma should get slapped again to make it more effective. Piccolo deduces that this meant Goku had already arrived to Earth around the time of Billss rampage. Goku protests that he was looking for some means to stop Bills, but an angry Bulma, already upset by the joke, prepares to slap Goku... | violence, action, entertaining | train | imdb | The movie is everything a classic Dragon Ball fan like myself wanted, the classic planet destructing battles, overpowered villains with ridiculously edgy personality and Goku once again doing whatever it takes to beat the stronger opponent.
i was the one who requested and added this page to IMDb just to let the world know about the movie more and share its information as IMDb is the best for it.I love the Akira Toriyama's story in this, the battles so intense, loved watching it :D and the way story lines ended, seems as in Future we could see more of Dragon Ball Z, hoping for a new Series just like before and i am hearing rumors that there will be one?
I'm honored to have been able to see this film on the big screen, even if the sound wasn't made for that venue.Loved it, just wish Gohan had put up more of a fight against Beerus, as he was the most powerful fighter at the end of Z and my favorite character.
After having seen so many DBZ movies i wasn't expecting much out of it.Nevertheless, as an adult hardcore fan of the Anime than rocked my youth, i feel compelled to watch every single one.And i am glad that i did.Most of previous movies didn't made a lot of sense to me.
From old characters popping into the storyline to a new villain who is nothing like anyone who Goku has ever faced before - in power AND personality...all while being shrouded in mystery.Its rare when you can watch a movie that can give you such emotions.
All the characters have their shining moments in this, either be it badass or completely hilarious just in old tradition of Dragon Ball!I loved this movie and I'd recommend it to anyone tired of the old DBZ formula and are looking for something fresh and new.
DBZ: Battle of the Gods is a totally hoot with really nice animation, really cool battle scenes, fun & lively characters, and a ton of cameos and references for fans of the series to enjoy.
Eager to face a foe who could provide with a challenge or amusement, Beerus sets off in search of such a person, which puts Goku, Vegeta and their families & friends in his cross-hairs...Aside from the fantastical, frenetic action this series is known for, this most fun the Dragon Ball franchise has seen in a loooonnngg time.
So to summarize : if you're a real hardcore DBZ fan (meaning you didn't even wasted your time watching GT, as I did) , you'd better skip this movie, even if I know curiosity will prevail, but don't' have huge expectations, this is simply the WORST dragon ball movie I've ever seen.
I wanted dragonball characters struggling for survival, fighting together, facing an overwhelming threat like an army, I wanted to see fusion, this movie lacked dramatic effect and emotional scenes and moments, it wasn't epic in any way, more like a comedy with unserious fighting scenes.
I want to see Dragonball Z succeed and get great reviews, but the fact that this movie was so bad and received a rating of 7.1 just makes me angry.Everyone posting positive reviews saying 10/10 but the plot sucks is just a fan boy that can't admit when something is awful.
Unfortunately, nothing has proved to be as entertaining, epic and magical as the original DB and DBZ; including this movie.Battle of Gods is indeed, a nice present to all Dragonball fans (especially after DB: Evolution).
I've heard a lot of negative critics, but now that I've watched it, I think I didn't mistake no taking it seriously, because the movie covers in an integral way, all what Dragon Ball's universe represents, which I really had missed, and like I expected, very loyal to the story that we all know, taking in count that comes directly from his real creator (not much against DBGT).
then the worst It the first time i see Vegeta dancing like an Idiot, everybody know, Goku is the best fighter in universe, but this movie destroy it..!!
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods knows exactly what type of film it is and makes for an amazingly fun experience!The characters are at their best here.
Dragon Ball Z always had breathtaking action scenes and genuinely humorous moments; Battle of Gods takes these elements and expands on them for a really well paced and well put together film.Trust me when I say this is one of the greatest Anime movies ever made and you are bound to shed at least a single nostalgic tear at the end of the film!.
Goku SSJ God and Beerus is exchanging blows which was the best parts of the movie plus they added some CGI animation in that fight that I thought was pretty cool.
Hearing the old same voices in characters like Goku, Krillin, and Gohan was gratifying and reminded me of the original DBZ episodes that I loved.
By far the worse movie out of them and hopefully it really was ONLY to set up further movies since there was that long talk about different universes, and thats not really a spoiler because it doesn't give the movie plot away.So overall as a die-hard Dragon Ball Z fan, i gave it a 5/10 because it had potential and had some funny and good parts, but lacked any STRONG story, had a disappointment main fight scene, and i was cheering for the "bad guy" who was a little too ridicules and child like..
I start to say that i am an adult and a fan of what dragon ball was and what represented to me as a child so i decided to see the so anticipated DB movie.My expectations were for good story,many fights or at least a long and intense one and some of that DB kind of humor.None of my desires come true,the story is as simple as it can be:a god is bored and want to fight(supposedly he's the god of destruction but he's more kind than a nun),the fights were very short and blend,and the humor is for kids.sometimes in the movie i get the feeling that directors/producers just want to finish it thats why that poor ending.very disappointing on how short role side characters had specially Piccolo(can't remember one line).
As a long time Dragon Ball Z fan who sometimes feels a little fatigued by the formula of the show, "Battle of Gods" raises some interesting questions about the nature of these characters.
It looks VERY cheap for what's supposed to be cinematic quality animation.But it's good to see these characters back in action again, and at the very least, Battle of Gods plays out almost like a family reunion.
Fights and humor was amazing and the ending leaves a warm feeling in your heart.My favourite aspect was the character arcs that were finally explored such as Vegeta and Goku both throwing away their pride to save the Earth and all the themes such as impurity VS purity really hit home.One of the finest anime films to date.
I rather watch the Dragons saga from DBGT.The comedic fact that, given good food, the God won't kill you is PERFECT AND SMART.HOW CAN YOU DESTROY THE EASIEST PART LIKE OUR HEROES CHARACTERIZATIONS!?!?!?!?Instead of creating a couple of new characters, they keep making the same mistakes: Vegeta is not even close to what made him great.Gohan is not even a Saiyan anymore.Trunks and Goten were cool and comedic relief, but they had potential too in the Buu Saga.
and for those people who love all those actions just as me!.humor has been added very well and the character of Beerus is cute as well as villainous (there is no villain but he does look like one).the return of Emperor Pilaf is also very funny and i enjoyed that a lot!.Its been a long time since i have seen comedy in Dragonball series and this is definitely one of the best hilarious as well as action packed movie i have ever seen!.it marks a very big levels of powers and abilities as Super saiyajin God makes his entry and there are 2 sequels(1 is confirmed the other is not so sure) to this movie which i think will be better than this one!..
I'm super pleased to finally see a legitimate release from Akira Toryiama himself.I was so sick of Dragon Ball GT, and have been dreaming for a very long time for another DBZ movie or series.
This movie is clearly made for the fans or for people who are knowledgeable because although there are a few moments in it to help people who are not up to date never heard of the word "Dragon Ball" in their lives should not Start "Battle of Gods" because otherwise he is completely lost.
Fans of the series will be delighted to know that Battle of Gods is an original work from Dragon Ball creator, himself, Akira Toriyama..
The movie is everything that the animated series was but with a condensed time period.A cat God awakens after 50 years of sleep in order to battle a mythical Super Saiyan God, but finding only Goku and his friends not worthy could spell doom for the planet Earth, unless a wish from the Dragonball can help.
I'll be honest, I have a short attention span and it sometimes frustrated me having to wait two of three episodes for a battle that would last two of three episodes(that part I liked), but this movie proves that you can get to the action nice and quick.But I will admit, for a movie about the ultimate power level the fight sequences were not the best I've seen in Dragonball.
I guess when you reach that level the fight does not need to take that long.Like most movies these days, Dragonball wants to examine it's heroes, pointing out the flaw in Goku as being addicted to fighting and examining the long road all the characters toke to get to this place, using puns and one liners.
In 2013, "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" was released in Japan, and it was released in America in 2014; this was done as a favor for Akira Toriyama to get his revenge on that lame live-action movie to give us something on what things should be.
Before continuing, I did say have not seen because that is so far one of the nitpicks that I have with this movie is that I feel ashamed for not getting caught up with the series' time line as well as Emperor Pilaf and his minions turned into kids; probably missed some of the episodes in "Dragon Ball." Now, as I was saying, a new enemy Beerus, the God of Destruction is searching for the one that destroys Frieza, and someone to transform into a Super Saiyan God. So it is up to Goku to save the Earth from Beerus destroying it as they fight in battle.
The film was pretty good, I enjoyed it and had a good time.I will say this though, I think you have to be a fan of the entire series to understand all the comedy.I would of liked more action but when there are fight scenes they are pretty good, for the final fight they mixed cgi into it and ill admit a lot of it looked amazing, but there are some parts that seemed to look a bit off or cheap.What I don't understand also is there are some real funky looking drawings at times, very low quality pictures, they are hard to spot but since I saw it on the big screen I was able to spot them, they never show them for long but when Goku is fighting at the end you can see when it shows them far away the quality of the drawings are pretty cheap looking to be honest, I understand that they do this to save money and time but wasn't this movie supposed to be huge?
I mean Akira came back to do it after 17 long years, I thought they would have did a better job on the quality of that.Don't get me wrong though most of it looks great, the drawings and animation look awesome but its just those few quick cheap looking parts that make me feel like it was a mixed bag, it didn't give me the same satisfaction of a moment from the series where lets say Vegeta was fighting Recoome and the animation was just top notch the whole way through.Most people will say that you cant notice these poor looking parts but if you cant then you must be blind or you just really don't care but if your like me who like things perfect you will notice it.Ill finish this off by saying I really did enjoy the first half of the film a lot better than the last half The first half really was entertaining and set everything up well, the jokes were awesome, the animation was awesome and the first fight was amazing.The last half is where I started to notice the use of those cheap looking drawings here and there, and although the final fight looked amazing like I said some of the cgi looked a bit strange but the most of it was great, just I was a bit let down that it was just goku who fought in the end, I think I would of enjoyed it A LOT more if they incorporated everyone into the fight somehow, and even though the last fight scene was the longest one in the movie I was STILL hungry for more action.So basically if your new to this series I suggest watching the show first, if your a fan who loves DBZ it should entertain you very much.I'd like to note also that everyone cheered and clapped once the film was done!
However, where the animation really shines is during the fight scenes between Bills, Goku, and the other Z-fighters.Now for the story of this movie, Akira Toriyama goes back to his roots.
What a massive letdown.Okay, so the story is there's this guy called Bills who's the God of Destruction, he hears about Goku defeating Frieza, decides to fight him because he had a dream about a "Super Saiyan God" and heads for Earth.First problem is that the story is ridiculously anorexic, even for DBZ.
I'm going start by saying that this whole movie definitely was not what i expected it to be and being a huge fan of this series i was surprised at what the new super saiyan god form was like, having said this i still thoroughly enjoyed this movie simply for the pure fact that it revealed a new concept to the DBZ universe that left you wanting more, like the fact that Bills announced that there are twelve universes each with its own god of destruction it basically gives goku something to train for and look forward to meeting these guys and fighting them, i like the fact that goku didn't want to rely on the powers of the others when obtaining the super saiyan god form that tells me he wants to train even harder and improve even more so he is able to become strong enough to face opponents with a power he gained by himself through his skill and fighting genius.
The God have reasons and wants, like Goku, fight powerful beings to probe himself.END of SPOILSAn finally, about it comparing to the childish DB GT.
Verisimilitude be damned.After that, the fight does not end, Bill said something about 12 universes and 12 gods of destruction (he is one of them), which is an expensive link to a new line of movies or anime series.
and Bills childish personality was something that was clear from the beginning of the movie, he never was a psycho like Freezer, he's just a bored god, and that's what i actually would believe the behavior of a bored god would be.if you are a fan of the original Dragon Ball series and you enjoyed Z in the original Japanese or the Latin Dub, then you will love this, but if you are just seeing this movie for the fights, and you're a Fan of the USA dub then you will be disappointed..
The brief fight between Goku and Bills is far from being epic, as every other big battle in Dragon Ball.
I been a Fan since the 90s,played final bout , hyper dimension ,ultimate battle 22 , saw all the dragon ball movies and saga's ,including GT lol, but WOW this movie was Garbage ,I have read Fan made stories 100x better then this movie..The story of this movie makes no sense what so ever , its humor was just as bad.Animation was good but some scenes just look very off because of the 3d, it made it seem like it came from a video game scene.-Why the hell was gohan a SSJ ?
As a Dragon Ball Z fan, I'd love to see a new movie.
In conclusion, Dragon Ball Z Battle Of Gods is practically a good movie.
it looks shocking all I could think of was " this feels like I'm playing DBZ BURST LIMIT" which isn't what I really want whilst trying to watch the first film from the Dragon Ball franchise for god only knows how long!
Although I wasn't too impressed with the final fight, the clean, bright animation has made me think it's time for a DBZ reboot that looks just like this movie. |
tt0360009 | Spartan | Robert Scott is a former U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon Master Gunnery Sergeant, acting as a selection cadre member for 1st SFOD-D. While observing an exercise designed to evaluate Delta candidates, Scott meets a recruit, Curtis, as well as Sergeant Jacqueline Black, a knife-fighting instructor.
Scott is drawn into a clandestine operation to find Laura Newton, the President's daughter, who is missing. Their search takes them to a bar where girls are recruited as prostitutes, and Scott's team follows a middleman to a bordello that funnels some of these girls to an international sex slavery ring. The madam gives them a contact number leading to a pay phone.
Calls placed to the pay phone are traced back to Tariq Asani, a Lebanese national currently in federal prison. They plan to intercept Asani during a prisoner transport and gain information from him about the sex trafficking operation.
When the car carrying Asani and another prisoner stops en route to its destination, Scott shows up and appears to kill the transport guard, then kills the other prisoner (who was on death row). He spares Asani when Asani says he can get them on a plane out of the country that night and confirms the sex slavery ring is based in Dubai.
Scott stops at a convenience store to relay the information to the team. Curtis provides him with more ammunition, but Asani, waiting in the car, happens to spot the badge of another agent talking with Curtis and opens fire. Curtis is wounded and Scott has to kill Asani.
As the team prepares an assault in Dubai, a news broadcast reports that Laura and her college professor were discovered drowned while sailing off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. The rescue operation is called off. Scott returns home, but Curtis tracks him down and persuades him that Laura is alive and shows Scott an earring that was caught in his mat from the beach house identical to those Laura is wearing in a news photograph.
When they return to the beach house, Curtis is killed by a sniper. Scott evades the sniper and when he finds Laura's unique sign on a window in the beach house indicating she was there, he realizes that she is not dead. He takes his pager and phone apart and finds a tracking device.
He tries to contact Laura's mother but he is intercepted by a female Secret Service agent assigned to guard the First Family. When he shows the agent the earring, the agent explains that for years the President has used visits to his daughter as a cover for extramarital affairs, and that he pulled Laura's Secret Service detail to use as extra protection for himself during the latest trip.
Scott enlists Sergeant Black to help him rescue the girl from Dubai and turns to Avi, a former Israeli operative. Avi agrees to get him into Dubai and smuggle Laura out concealed in a cargo container, obtaining weapons for him and support from a man known as Jones.
Jones is killed during the rescue and Scott flees with Laura to a safe house, where he persuades her that although he is alone, he is acting under orders. Correctly guessing that he is really acting on his own, Laura says that King Leonidas of Sparta would respond to requests for help from neighboring kingdoms by sending one man, and decides to trust him.
When he takes Laura to the airport to seal her in the cargo container, Scott discovers he is being tracked when he finds a transmitter hidden in his knife. He rushes her out of the container just as his old team arrives to apprehend them. Scott is shot and Laura is captured. Her captor reveals herself as Sgt. Black, who shows her the earring and photos from the Secret Service agent, convincing Laura to stop struggling. A Swedish news crew witnesses the struggle as they are about to board their own plane nearby, and recognize Laura. Black is shot, and a hysterical Laura is hustled to safety aboard the journalists' plane. Scott finds the injured Black, who asks if Laura is now safe, which Scott confirms.
Later, on a London city street, a stubbled Scott is shown watching an evening news broadcast regarding Laura's return on a television in a shop window. The government spins the story of Laura's kidnapping as an opportunity for the President to take action to end the trafficking of American girls as sex slaves. A British man watching alongside Scott says, "Time to go home," and walks away. Scott watches him leave and says, "Lucky man." Scott is then seen walking off into Piccadilly Circus. | comedy, mystery, neo noir, murder, violence, intrigue, suspenseful, storytelling | train | wikipedia | If you go by the plot, or by the casting (Val Kilmer's done his share of stupid actioners), you might well go into this expecting guns, explosions, and improbably ninja-esquire super-agents who parachute around and kill things with their teeth.But this is Mamet, so what you get instead is a sort of weird emotional flatland for almost two hours of film, with Kilmer doing an excellent (Val KILMER?
Director and frequent screen writer David Mamet ('House of Games,' 'State and Main,' 'Spanish Prisoner,' 'Heist,') has crafted a thriller peppered with his stylized, epigrammatic dialogue that takes on the presidency and world corruption in equal parts of vitriol and savvy.
Later, I would learn that Mamet would go on to write some of the best dialogue in all of film with movies like The Untouchables (just like a Wop, brings a knife to a gunfight), The Heist ( everyone loves money, that's why they call it money) and my favourite Mamet film, Glengarry Glenross ( I make $900,000 a year, that's why...).
But if you like films that treat you like you already know what you need to know, and then proceed to show you things that you don't, then Spartan, like The Bourne Identity, is a film that you should enjoy.Val Kilmer plays perhaps a member of the Secret Service, or perhaps he is just one of those covert operatives that is so good at what he does that he is just an invisible spook who shows up to do a job that others have trouble with.
He is driven and he is serious and like The Terminator, he will not stop, ever, until he has finished the job.In this film, that job is to rescue the president's daughter, who was kidnapped while the Secret Service agent watching over her claims he was sleeping while she disappeared.
This is about as raw as it gets and Mamet can take full credit for writing and directing the film as beautifully as he did and Val Kilmer can be proud of what he brought to the table.This is one of the best films of the young 2004 and while it will be forgotten soon enough, when it comes out on video, it is a film that must be seen.9/10.
Here he plays a Marine Gunny (a Master Gunnery Sergeant here) assigned to special ops (probably after Recon) and was the perfect fit for both this film and Mamet's script, which combined with his talent - was one of his best.
Secret Serviceman extraordinnaire Val Kilmer tries to retrieve a kidnapped politician's daughter in this surprisingly-good thriller.There isn't a lot of violence in this modern day tough rescue story, but when it occurs, look out!
This movie stars Val Kilmer as a government agent who is called in to help with the search of the president's missing daughter.
David Mamet's Spartan had me leaving the theater thinking 'yeah, it was a good movie, some things I didn't understand'.
Kilmer's Scott is a little more distant in tone and style sometimes, thinking of things to say to people that could border on a hack's cliche, yet Mamet isn't unforgivable in all the dialog.
But Val Kilmer saves the day as he does with a lot of movies, and his performance alone is worth seeing this Mamet thriller.
The supporting cast includes such standouts as William Macy (one of his worst roles ever), Derek Luke as Kilmer's novice partner, cameo-like appearance by Ed O'Neill, Kristen Bell as the kidnap victim.
The story here sadly feels like something that could happen in real life and it makes "Spartan" different than most Hollywood thrillers .It doesn't change the fact that weak screenplay , bad dialogues and crappy direction make this one a misfire in Mamet's career .
The latest film from director David Mamet is a spy thriller about a ex-Marine special forces agent (Val Kilmer), forced to take on a rookie (Derek Luke) to find and bring back the missing daughter of a high ranking political official.
Its been awhile since I have seen a movie starring Val Kilmer and Spartan only reminded me how bad of an actor he is.
Rating 3/10, a below average thriller that's only worth watching if your a big, big fan of Val Kilmer or David Mamet.
This movie was unnoticed by the general public because of its being somehow simple (with no special effect) but it's for sure genuine and of high quality; it has surprise twists, tough guys and some great action scenes.
Furthermore what makes this flick special is not only the story but also the original way David Mamet chose to tell it; Val Kilmer acted in a very mature and professional manner and deserves many compliments for that..
And Mamet's boy's own fascination with all the Marines and Secret Service stuff is cringe worthy.Kilmer looks like he doesn't know what he's doing for much of it using this very odd non-emotional acting.
In addition to the FAILING screenplay by D.Mamet the director Val's about to glimmer performance just suspended.The cliché scenario : an abducted politician's daughter and the coercion to plunge her into the adultery business and her complaints of her uncaring father and Val's restless efforts to take her back home in spite of not letting her know how many people have been killed on the track to seize her and take her back to the USA outing her from the clutches of faceless Arabic pimps selling young American girls to rich Arabic people.Besides Val uses the profanity in every single frame and even cursing the kidnapped girl while trying to impede her escape from the container he took .
He's not entirely sure what her name is, and follows this up with comments about how he enjoyed acting rough with her on the film and that he came to think of her as his personal play toy, but had to back off when her boyfriend was on set.I like Kilmer on screen but this is one strange dude.
Save your sanity and stay away from Spartan and Heist.Val Kilmer was OK as a marine sergeant who tried to search president's daughter, but he could not save movie from it's rotten screenplay.
This is just my opinion but this is the worst film I've seen all year by far nothing about it works, there are a million co-incidenses that are an improbable stretch, the acting is below sub-par and the characters are two-dimensional at best.
Istantly recognizable Schtick.In a few years our ability to suspend disbelief would be lambasted with increasingly involved special ops within cons within special ops, and we would be listening in every movie to dialog like this: Character One: "I'm going to get you out of here." Character Two: "You're going to get me out of here?" Character One: "I'm going to get you out of here." Or: Character One: "You want a cigarette now?" Character Two: "Can you produce one?" What a relief to find that David Mamet was behind this whole thing -- writer, producer, director, bricoleur.
From this point the movie gets more intriguing and plays to an ending that is disappointing if you consider all you have seen before that.Never mind the ending, although it is too bad it's the last thing you see of 'Spartan', my guess is you will remind the good part.
I don't know what is more pathetic about this movie--the idiotic clichés (swarthy Arabs stealing our blondes, Rambo-like Secret Service/Marine/Ranger types, the officer giving her life for the mission and asking with her last breath if the mission succeeded, the evil politicians, the shallow American press, the magical tracking device that serves as Deus ex machina), or Macy prostituting himself in a pitiful secondary role (Macy playing second string to Val Kilmer?!).
Spartan is a film that tries to be smarter than it is by impressing us with it's fancy tactics and approaches, used as by Kilmer, a mercenary agent, enlisted by a higher power to locate the daughter (the hot sexy and young Kristen Bell) of a government official, whose been abducted and sold into sex slavery.
This is a competent political thriller written and directed by the talented David Mamet with a strong central performance from Val Kilmer as an American secret agent with a direct and brutal style of operation.
More fun mind games from David Mamet, "Spartan" is by no means one of his best (like "House Of Games" or "The Spanish Prisoner"), but is entertaining all the same.
The president's daughter has been kidnapped (by people who may or may not know who she is), and a secret agent named Scott (Val Kilmer) has been given the task of finding her.
The film's pace is a little slow at times and there's a slight blandness to it, but for the Mamet fan there is good (but not necessarily GREAT) dialogue and lots of nifty setpieces (my favorite of which involves a holdup in a cafe).
Writer/Director David Mamet's latest film, 'Spartan', is fast paced, taunt, suspenseful and intelligent.
Whereas 99% of the movie leaves us to determine motivation or objective, Mamet did resort to a 'Hey, I'm the bad guy and let me tell you something' kind of mentality so spoofed in the Batman television program.This small scene notwithstanding, Spartan was a wonderful ride.
You can nearly always count on good dialogue and detailed plotting in a David Mamet film.Val Kilmer stars as a Delta-Force type soldier who is suddenly summoned by the highest powers of the US Government to find out what happened to young girl who has been kidnapped.
We saw 10 minutes of this film.Val Kilmer spouts more of that Mametesque tripe called dialogue as a super-secret agent type guy that is in a world class of his own.
A sparse thriller with Kilmer (william H macy) and a bunch of people you won't have seen before.It is worth it purely because anything Mamet does is worth a look.The film is a based around the disappearance of the daughter of someone important.
Not surprising really since Spartan is written and directed by David Mamet who worked on the Ronin script.When the President's daughter is kidnapped a strict, no-nonsense Secret-Secret Service agent (Val Kilmer) follows an intriguing trail of clues and dead-ends to find out where she is, who took her and why.
A real taut puzzler that dips its toes in the great overly paranoid political shockers of the Nixon era.It's easy to pinpoint the overtly Hollywood-esque sequences of the film (notably, a dog tired opening sequence of a military training exercise guised as an actual frenzied pursuit and the finale's James Bond worthy jabbering heavy fishing in the dark for his assured prey with a double-fisted chrome peacemaker), but what's completely refreshing about the script and Mamet's stark and confident execution is how is so obviously bored to hell he is by the run of mill expositions that practically every other filmmaker would pander to in making a political thriller.
With such a curious character most actors would only muster a sort of emblematic impression of a real man, but Kilmer, having a great year (playing John Holmes taboot, the absolute 180 from his nameless (Scott, Bobby, Curtis?) Army ranger here), meets the role with subdued ballsyness.
David Mamet who is a master of "rhythmic nature of dialogue" in almost everything he has written and in this film "Spartan" he has almost outdone himself.
I recently rented it on DVD and I watched it twice and would watch it again.It kind of me reminded a another film called "Ronnin" which Mamet was also a part of the script writing team; it was similar where you really don't get to know the characters's existence outside of their jobs.
In the case of "Ronnin" even with a good cast the film kind of became dull and yet in "Spartan" the Kilmer's character "Mr. Scott" had such a unique delivery rhythm--almost poetic- way of speaking that also defined his detached character.
I think Val Kilmer is an intelligent and a versatile actor; and just like Mamet he also went a step further with his acting in "Spartan".
As far as how the story unfolds its almost like a jigsaw puzzle from the very start of the film at times you feel a little lost and confused at what or whom some of these characters are.
Overall I think "Spartan" is a great film; its a kind of overlooked masterpiece by this great auteur "David Mamet" whose work maybe regarded by some to be of acquired taste but its really for people who like to think and enjoy the true art of conversation.
I seriously doubt if Tarrantino could even conceive of a story like "Spartan", unless he read it in a comic book let alone write one page of dialogue that remotely comes close to the lexicon of this film or any of Mamet's work.
I am not a big fan of David Mamet either but I respect good honest work and however small "Spartan" maybe against those senseless blockbusters which preside on their special effects, "Spartan" on the other hand surpasses them for its simple classic film making where once again a writer manages to create characters in a thought provoking engaging story where the only special effects are your character actors who somehow are in the same zone as the writer/director and this collaboration becomes the art of classic film making.
Mamet's back again with his deceptive sleights of hand, rushing poor Val Kilmer from one precarious situation to the next as if trying to outdo "24".But breathless pace, self-indulgently clever (or rather not so clever) dialogue and plenty of mechanical twists and turns can't hide the fact that this flat and unconvincing charade never generates a shred of emotional or intellectual resonance.Watch those great 70s conspiracy thrillers instead.
If you want to see several SEVERAL useless & pointless characters appearing in ONE movie,go and see David Mamet's Spartan.
Unfortunately, this was not a result of a clever script intended to make the audience wonder about what was happening, and then surprise them by letting the pieces fall into place.In this entire movie, there were only two characters I felt any attachment to whatsoever: Val Kilmer's character and the president's daughter.
So the character dies, and Val Kilmer is sad, and the emotional music is playing, you're thinking, "So what?"If you really want to see this movie, go ahead and rent it when it comes out.
This film had dialogue that made you wonder what in the world they were talking about, no one talks like Val Kilmer did, who by the way performed terribly.
David Mamet is a solid writer and director,so I thought that Spartan was going to be a good thriller and I was not wrong.This is a thriller to think,something not usual in a thriller.The plot is not original,but the way in which a lot of things are solved are really originally and this movie has some surprises.Mamet made this great movie after a boring film called Heist.Val Kilmer is a very good actor and here he makes an excellent performance.I recommend this great film because it was really a pleasure to see a thriller like this one that makes you think.In conclusion,a fascinating experience.Rating: 9.
The tale of a Marine called above and beyond the call of duty......only to be betrayed by those appointed over him.Spartan follows Scott (Val Kilmer), a member of an unnamed special operations unit tasked to support the Secret Service when the daughter of the President goes missing.
David Mamet directs Val Kilmer's "Spartan" experience..
It's a good plot altogether, but the movie seems at times contrived due to the Mamet-esque screen writing that typically emphasizes forced and deliberate dialogue over natural language flow.
For those of us who appreciate his work, we love watching his mind games, listening to that clipped cadence, the sparse dialogue that says little, yet reveals much.The premise of "Spartan" might seem like the stuff TV movies are made of - the president's daughter has been kidnapped.
The story unfolds - true, some of the plot points are a bit coincidental - the twists actually work and Mamet keeps us guessing.The emotional coldness of Scott (Val Kilmer) and other characters might be off-putting to audiences used to melodramatic moments in movies of this ilk.
I consider David Mamet as the David Lynch of screenwriters, he's the man behind scripts of movies like Ronin and The Untouchables, now he's back for another movie that he directed himself along with Heist.Spartan stars Val Kilmer, Derek Luke and William H Macy and tells the story of an investigation to retrieve the kidnapped daughter of a political leader or something.
Personnaly I love Val Kilmer, I like the guy because he plays with such ease and this movie is no different.The movie was a complex script that evolves fast, it's a thriller that doesn't really go on scaring us or putting in too much action, it's more of a suspense film.
The characters run through the film, and only towards the end do you begin to understand their own motivations.Val Kilmer is stellar in this movie.
If there is any government organization that mostly has it's act together it is those folks.But in this movie they are loaded with rogue or in-league agents who are so prevalent that Val Kilmer's character Scott can't even come back to the U.S.Really now.
SPARTAN is Mamet's best film to date.
On top of this confusing plot with simple characters, the movie does not spend a second explaining things like most thrillers do, it simply shows what it needs to not wasting any airtime.
Mamet is increasingly becoming one of the most interesting writer/directors in film, and with SPARTAN, he tries his had at the suspense/thriller genre.
If you like intelligent, slow-moving thrillers, than Spartan is just the movie for you. |
tt1703938 | Gosa 2 | The film opens at a swim meet. Chung Taeyeon and her best friend Yoon Narae are both competing, with Lee Sehee in the stands cheering them on. Taeyeon comes in first with Narae in third place. While both swimmers have pictures taken of them, Taeyeon calls Sehee out from the crowd and gets her to pose with them for a picture. The scene shifts to two years later. At the pool, a member of the swim team, Kyunghee, goes for a practice swim in the
pool but is suddenly dragged underwater by a mysterious black smoke. Kyunghee struggles, but then spots a corpse-like figure staring back at her and screams.The school is in the middle of final exams. Narae, tired of studying, makes no real attempt at the test. Sehee gets a severe nose bleed; the teaching assistant, Miss Park, tries to let her go to the nurse, but the teacher, Mr. Cha, refuses to let her go. After the test, Narae watches the swim team practice before getting up and leaving. She has quit the team. The coach tells Narae to study hard in order to get into a good college now that she doesn't have
swimming to fall back on. Above the swimming pool a male student, Wonho, takes pictures of the swim team in their bathing suits.Miss Park messes up during a class evaluation, causing the students to laugh. While she tries to teach, the students pass around a photograph of Miss Park and another teacher, edited to look like they were having sex. Just
as he gets hold of the picture, Kim Jangkook - known as JK among the students - is called on to read from the textbook. Miss Park demands that he hand over the picture, but becomes embarrassed when she sees what it is
and crumples it up.Yeom Jiyoon approaches Sehee and asks if she wants to rejoin her study group; Sehee says no. Kwanwoo, who has been handing out milk cartons to the students, tosses a carton at Jiyoon, who moves. The milk hits Sehee instead, exploding and drenching her. Mr. Cha enters just then, and the students return to their seats; as Kwanwoo passes Sehee's desk, he hands her a handkerchief to dry herself. Mr. Cha announces that the top thirty students in the school will be enrolled in a summer course and will still be at the school during summer break, starting tomorrow. It is shown that Narae has been enrolled in the program despite her ranking being lower than 30. Narae calls her mother and demands to know why she was put in this class, saying that she only wanted to quit swimming, not get involved with more studying. She accuses her mother of giving the school money - and not for the first time - in order to get her into the summer program.While Sehee packs for the summer course at home, Taeyeon sits at the piano behind her, teasing her for her intense study habits. She asks Sehee to play something for her on the piano. When Sehee finishes, Taeyeon
demonstrates that all she can play is "Chopsticks"; while she plays, Sehee glances over to see that Taeyeon has become a rotting corse, complete with hollow eye sockets dripping with blood. Sehee screams, then wakes up from
where she had been sleeping at her desk. She turns behind her and sees the piano bench empty, but water droplets can be seen on a few of the keys.Before the summer program begins the next day, Sehee and Narae run into each other but don't speak. JK and Yongran, his girlfriend, speed by on JK's motorcycle. The rest of the students trickle in. Mr. Kang, the principal, tells the class that this course will be about competition for the highest ranking and to see the other students as rivals. Miss Park takes the cell phones from the students. Wonho hands her a small nude figurine wrapped in bondage along with his phone, but she ignores it. During lunch, Yongran reveals to Jiyoon that she plans to have sex with JK that night. Sehee is too absorbed in her flash cards to pay attention to Kwanwoo's apology for the milk incident. That evening, Miss Park and Mr. Cha are left to supervise the students by themselves, as Mr. Kang is leaving for personal matters; he assures them that the doors and gates will be locked and nothing could go wrong.In the dorm, Hyuna, another friend of Jiyoon, is putting up her numerous pill bottles when another girl, Minjung, tells her that Kyunghee saw the ghost of Chung Taeyeon in the swimming pool. Hyuna becomes upset and leaves, and Narae criticizes Minjung's sense of humor over someone's death. In the bathroom, Hyuna takes her pills and begins to hallucinate hair growing rapidly all over her body, then blood being dumped on her from the ceiling. The swimming coach goes to shower, but hears noise coming from the other room. The lights go off and the coach begins fumbling around; a sudden burst of light in her eyes makes her scream before she is thrown against the
wall and killed. Yongran sneaks through the halls to her meeting spot with JK. She is pinned to the wall by someone wearing a mask; it's only JK, who removes the mask before they begin to make out. Outside, Mr. Kang finishes
locking the gates and leaves just as the televisions and lights in the hallway begin to flicker.The students and Miss Park have all fallen asleep at their desks while studying. As the clock strikes midnight, the school bell plays and wakes the students. Sehee notices something written on the blackboard: "When an innocent mother is killed, what son wouldn't avenge her?" Hyuna wakes up to find blood dripping onto her forehead. Yongrans body suddenly breaks through the ceiling tiles, hanging from a rope. Foreign characters are sewn into her face. The PA system turns on and a male voice announces that students will die, and that the students must find the answer to who is killing them and why in order to leave the school alive. Yongran is suddenly dropped and dies on impact with the edge of a desk. The students, terrified, find that they are locked in. The televisions in the hallway turn on to show JK laying in the middle of a different school hallway, waking up from unconsciousness. A mysterious figure appears in the same hallway on his motorcycle proceeds to run JK over repeatedly until he is dead.Hyuna begins to panic and says that Taeyeon has come to kill everyone. Mr. Cha appears, and the students tell him that Yongran and JK are both dead. They beg him to let them out, but he tells them that Mr. Kang has the keys. He
tells Miss Park to take the students back to the classroom, and goes with Kwak Sooil to try to find a working telephone. Sooil tells Mr. Cha that the lines have been cut and that there is also no wireless signal.In the classroom, Hyuna takes more of her pills as some of the other girls discuss Taeyeon; it is revealed that Taeyeon committed suicide in the school swimming pool. A male student begins to get aggressive, accusing another student of being behind the killings and threatening to beat him up. Hyuna screams and hallucinates ants crawling all over her. She begins clawing at herself and even stabs herself with a pen to get rid of the ants. Jiyoon tries to stop her but ends up getting slashed in the face with the pen. Hyuna starts foaming at the mouth and coughing up blood; just as Jiyoon notices that the pills Hyuna had been taking were not her prescribed ones - meaning someone had switched her medication - Hyuna dies.Sehee repeats the riddle she saw on the board and Jiyoon comes up with an answer. The riddle references Queen Yoon, mother of King Yeonsan. Yoon was poisoned and killed. Mr. Cha and Sooil enter the classroom right then.
The same male student from earlier becomes aggressive again, accusing Mr. Cha of being involved in the murders. Angered, Mr. Cha punches the student, but before the student can return the blow the lights go out. Mr. Cha
gets a flashlight and asks for everyone to stay together and go to their dorms while he goes to the maintenance room with Miss Park and Sooil.In their dorm room, Sehee mentions to Narae that the photo of them with Taeyeon is still hanging in Taeyeon's bedroom; this is the first time she has spoken of Taeyeon since her suicide. Minjung, confused, asked if Sehee lived with Taeyeon. The scene changes to a flashback of a miserable Sehee and her father sitting in a restaurant, where Sehee is meeting her father's new fiancee for the first time. When she arrives, she has her daughter with her:
Taeyeon. Taeyeon mentions that she's excited to be in the same class as Sehee the next semester; Sehee responds that she hopes no one finds out that they will be step-sisters. In the present time Sehee begins to cry, saying that she feels guilty for the nasty way she treated Taeyeon. Narae says she was angry that she was never told that Sehee and Taeyeon were step-sisters. Sehee apologizes to Narae, "even though it's too late."Kyunghee is out in the hallway, banging on a dorm room door and begging for someone to let her in. After a few minutes, Wonho opens his door and invites her in. In his room are several figurines like the one he gave to Miss Park, of nude women in bondage. Wonho asks if Kyunghee remembers when, a year before, she sat next to him and shared her lunch with him during a school trip. He then asks if she wants a blanket but Kyunghee, clearly
uncomfortable, says no and leaves. Wonho follows her out into the hallway, begging her to stay with him. Around this time, some of the male students break into one of the classrooms and grab a box of spray paint cans.In the maintenance room, Mr. Cha connects two wires and turns the power back on. A generator comes on as well, which turns on a weapon that kills Sooil. Mr. Cha and Miss Park separate, and Mr. Cha finds Jiyoon wandering the halls alone. She asks him if the murders had anything to do with "that." Mr. Cha insists that nobody knows about whatever happened, and that she shouldn't mention it again. She tells him that there is one other person involved with the mysterious incident. In a flashback, Jiyoon is shown sitting in class when she receives a picture on her phone of a dead girl. She looks around and sees Wonho smiling at her. At a later time, Wonho approaches Jiyoon and hands her what appears to be a set of picture slides, and she in turns hands him a packet of unknown pictures. Off to the side, Mr. Cha is shown on his cell phone telling someone on the other line that Jiyoon will no longer be pestered with "these kinds of issues."Back at the school, Mr. Cha, carrying a hammer, follows a trail of blood to the school darkroom where he finds Wonho sitting at a desk with his head down. Mr. Cha raises his hammer to attack Wonho, who he is surprised to find is already dead. Mr. Cha notices that the wall is covered in pictures of some of the students running through the pool area during one night. He tears the photographs down, then sees the negatives in a large incinerator. An unseen force pushes him inside, slamming the door shut. The school bell rings again, and the televisions turn on to show images of Sooil's dead body and Mr. Cha locked in the darkroom incinerator. The students hurry to the darkroom to get him out, but see that the incinerator has a timed lock that requires a code word. Several of the pictures around the room and pictures on a slideshow on the wall have letters on them, pieces of the code. The students begin naming those who are featured in the photographs: Yongran, JK, and Jiyoon. Sehee figures out that the code is "memento mori," but before she can input the code the incinerator turns on and burns Mr. Cha alive.After Mr. Cha's death, Sehee realizes that the characters sewn on Yongrans face mean "to forget." A slide of a beaten and dead Taeyeon pops up on the wall, and Sehee repeats "memento mori," or "never forget your mortality."
Narae sees the picture as well. It dawns on her that Taeyeon didn't really commit suicide, and she demands for Sehee to tell her the truth. Kwanwoo notices that the next picture in the slideshow is of Jiyoon, and comments that
everyone in the pictures around the darkroom is now dead, except for Jiyoon, who is now missing.Jiyoon wanders the halls of the school, having left the darkroom after the other students recognized her in the pictures. Miss Park finds her, and Jiyoon tells her that she (Jiyoon) is the next to die. In a flashback, one of the student study groups - JK, Hyuna, Sooil, Yongran, and Jiyoon - are at school studying late one night. They break out a bottle of whiskey from Jiyoon's locker and get drunk; the conversation turns to sex, and Sooil reveals that he is still a virgin. They spy on Taeyeon in the gym showers, washing off after a swim. The other students pressure Sooil into raping Taeyeon. He attacks her while the others watch and laugh. Humiliated, she threatens to tell the police. Yongran informs her that Sooil's father is a prosecutor, and if she takes this to the police then they will make it look like her fault. Jiyoon hands Taeyeon a towel and tells her to go back to swimming, but Taeyeon slaps her. Jiyoon pulls her hair and she slips, hitting her head against a shower knob; Taeyeon falls to the shower floor, dead.Jiyoon, back at the locked-down school, tells Miss Park that it was an accident and that she will turn herself into the police if it means everyone can be set free. Miss Park asks Jiyoon why she decided to reveal the truth now. Jiyoon stares at Miss Parks calm face, realizing she is involved, and screams as a hidden figure grabs her.The other students wander the halls looking for Jiyoon. The televisions turn on to show Miss Park seated in front of a microphone. She tells them that they must remember that "with every action comes responsibility." For the
following ten minutes there will be phone signal, and locked in a safe in the auditorium is a cell phone that can be used to call for help before the time runs out. Several of the students head for the auditorium, but three of the boys head for the broadcasting studio where Miss Park is. In the studio, Miss Park sits staring at the microphone as a man standing beside her puts his hand on her shoulder. He tells her that she "did good" before another flashback starts.Two years earlier, the mysterious man - Jungbum - gets a text from his girlfriend, Taeyeon, that she wants to break up. He calls her cell but gets no answer; the phone is laying smashed on the ground beside the pool. The students involved in Taeyeon's death are seen running away from the pool, and pictures are taken of them by Wonho. Jungbum arrives at the pool and spots her dead body floating in the water. He drags her out to perform CPR, and Taeyeon regains consciousness long enough to speak Sooil's name before dying. Just then the swimming coach enters the pool area and screams. She testifies that Jungbum killed Taeyeon, followed by Mr. Cha, Wonho, Yongran, JK, Sooil, and Hyuna stating that Taeyeon and Jungbum were dating, Jungbum was a trouble-maker, Taeyeon was a slut, and more. When it gets to Jiyoons confession we hear the officer talking to her father, and it is hinted that her father donates money to the police. Jiyoon and her friends are free. Jungbum, on the other hand, is shown in handcuffs climbing on a bus. He has been convicted of murdering Taeyeon. Later, Jungbum's sister - revealed to be Miss Park - visits her brother in the insane asylum. She hands him an envelope that was addressed to him (presumably the pictures of Taeyeon's murder). Jungbum continuously fidgets and wraps a piece of string around his finger. He asks if his sister has seen Taeyeon, as he can't find her anywhere.Back at the school, Jungbum tells his sister that she can leave; he will handle the rest. She hugs him and leaves, but as she goes down the stairs crying she is attacked and beaten by the group of boys who had come to find her. In
the auditorium Jiyoon is tied up, rigged to a noose that will hang her if someone pulls on the key at the end of the rope - the key to open the safe containing the cell phone. The students try to untie her but can't. Kwanwoo, Sehee, and Narae try to keep Jiyoon alive, but in the end she is hung as the key is used to open the safe. The students grab the phone with only a few seconds to spare but the signal cuts out before they can get out more than a few words.Downstairs, Jungbum sets the school on fire. The students all run out of the auditorium to try and escape. The boys create a large bomb using the spray paint cans they had taken earlier, taping them to the locked gate leading to the
school doors and throwing a lighter at them to make them explode. The explosion destroys the gate. As the students leave the school grounds, Narae tells Kwanwoo that Sehee is missing.Back at the pool, Sehee stands on the edge of the diving board, remembering a time when Taeyeon helped teach her to swim. Jungbum appears behind Sehee, asking if she has seen Taeyeon; in his hands is a heavy chain
attached to a weight. He chokes her and asks if she was a part of Taeyeon's death. In another flashback, Sehee is shown fetching food for Jiyoon and the rest of the study group. She comes in just as they are planning for Sooil to
rape Taeyeon, and she begs them not to. Jiyoon tells her she can either stay and watch or leave. Sehee leaves the school, crying.Jungbum pushes Sehee over the edge of the diving baord, the weighted chain wrapped around her ankle, but she pulls him down with her. He continues to choke her underwater until Kwanwoo pulls him off. Narae attempts to get the chain off from around Sehee's ankle but can't. Sehee blacks out, and the ghostly corpse of Taeyeon grabs her ankle. Another flashback is shown of Taeyeon and Sehee in the pool, talking about going to the beach in their bikinis to flirt with men. Jungbum and Narae appear, and Jungbum begs them to take him along. Narae pushes him into the water and they all laugh. The unconscious Sehee smiles. Taeyeon's ghost-corpse sees this and slowly becomes less disfigured. She removes the chain from Sehee's ankle and watches as her step-sister's body floats to the top of the pool. Jungbum - the pleasant, happy Jungbum from the flashback who had been pushed into the pool - swims past her and together he and Taeyon's ghost swim off together hand-in-hand. The picture of Sehee, Narae, and Taeyeon floats on the pool water as the screen fades to black.During the credits, Kwanwoo is shown reviving Sehee with CPR. He holds her, and she spies something behind him. He turns and the image of his face freezes, then fades to black. | murder | train | imdb | null |
tt0039420 | The Ghost and Mrs. Muir | In the early 1900s, young widow Lucy Muir (Gene Tierney) moves to the seaside English village of Whitecliff despite the fierce disapproval of her caterwauling mother-in-law and domineering sister-in-law. Despite its reputation of being haunted, she falls in love with and rents Gull Cottage, where she takes up residence with her young daughter Anna (Natalie Wood) and her maid Martha (Edna Best). On the first night, she is visited by the ghostly apparition of the former owner, a roguish but harmless sea captain named Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), who tells her that his death four years ago was accidental. He was trying to close a window which blew open during a storm, when he kicked his gas heater on with his foot in his sleep. He further explains that he had wanted to turn Gull Cottage into a home for retired seamen in generations to come. After learning of Lucy's appreciation of the house, Daniel reluctantly agrees to allow her to live in Gull Cottage and promises to make himself known only to her (Anna is too young for ghosts). Despite a few differences and disagreements with Captain Gregg, Mrs. Muir and her household settle comfortably into Gull Cottage. However, it is not long before Mrs. Muir's in-laws arrive with the news that Lucy's investment income has dried up, and they insist that Lucy move back to London with them. After his ghostly eviction of the in-laws, Captain Gregg comes up with an idea to save the house: he will dictate his memoirs to her and she will have them published, with the royalties going to her. During the course of writing the book, they find themselves falling in love, but as both realize it is a hopeless situation, Daniel tells her she should find a real (live) man.
When she visits the publisher in London, Lucy becomes attracted to suave Miles Fairley (George Sanders), a writer of children's stories under the nom-de-plume of "Uncle Neddy," who helps her obtain an interview. Despite a rocky beginning, the publisher agrees to publish the Captain's book. The Captain's racy recollections, published under the title Blood and Swash, become a bestseller, allowing Lucy to buy the house. Fairley follows her back to Whitecliff and begins a whirlwind courtship. Captain Gregg, initially disgusted of their relationship, decides finally to cease being an obstacle to her happiness. While Lucy sleeps, Daniel places the suggestion in her mind that she alone wrote the book and that he was just a dream. His task accomplished, Captain Gregg disappears from the house. Shortly thereafter, while again visiting her publisher in London, Lucy decides to pay a surprise visit to Fairley's home. There she discovers to her horror that not only is Miles already married with two children, but that this sort of thing has happened before with other women. Lucy leaves heartbroken and returns to Whitecliff to spend the rest of her life as a recluse in Gull Cottage, with Martha to look after her.
About ten years later, Anna (Vanessa Brown) returns with her fiancé, a Royal Navy lieutenant. In the course of a conversation with her mother, Anna reveals that Captain Gregg's ghost was her childhood companion during the same year Lucy and the Captain were acquainted. She also knew about her mother's relationship with Miles Fairley all the time, rekindling faint memories in her mother of the Captain. It is also revealed that Fate has not been kind to Fairley; he has become fat, bald and a heavy drinker, and his wife and children have finally left him.
Lucy spends a long peaceful life at the cottage, still tended to by Martha. One foggy night, as Lucy sits dozing in her bedroom chair before the gas fire, she dies. Captain Gregg appears before her at the moment of her death. Reaching out, he lifts her young spirit free of her aged body. The two walk arm in arm down the stairs, out of the front door, and into a brightly lit mist. | haunting | train | wikipedia | That's what makes for great movies.Gene Tierney is perfect in her role as Lucy, a young widow, very strong-willed and with a mind of her own.
I particularly liked her expressions which were corrected by him, such as: (she describes) sheets bellying in the wind, (he, correcting her) sails billowing; (she, in a flurry for him to be gone, asks him to) decompose, (he haughtily retorts) dematerialize, madam!When she develops an interest in a certain outsider, Miles Fairley, suitably performed by that perennial ladies' man, George Sanders, well the captain becomes very annoyed and tells her, "I said you should see men, not perfumed parlor snakes," which I thought was amusing and a very apt description.I think the overall tone of the story tends to confirm a universal belief in an afterlife form of existence, a conviction as old as mankind itself.
However, in this story the emphasis gradually shifts to supplanting the experience of a ghostly dialogue exchange with that of a dream state as being the source of reality, in effect Lucy dreamed it all, even the writing of the book, which is something I would question but that's another matter.The exquisite music throughout the film sets the mood beautifully in expressing the many changes varying from haunting, romantic atmosphere to frolicsome (when the captain is up to his pranks), as well as the churning turbulence of the majestic waves along the shore.I've recently acquired the DVD and appreciate having the subtitles now which brings out more details of the dialogue.
The ghost of Captain Gregg (Rex Harrison) is at first brash and frightening but we come to find that he is a salt of the earth man of high principles.Get over slick and callow modern film making and take a few steps back in time to watch this most charming and romantic of love stories well told on all sides: an ornate confection of a story, carefully and lovingly photographed, acted with aplomb and riding on top of a musical score that is as moving and powerful as the tides that beat throughout this film.I find a personal connection to this story in that it takes me back to the days I lived on a northern island that was similarly beautiful though tinged with the bittersweet loneliness of a remote place awash in the deep undercurrents of sorrow and melancholy..
Gene Tierney is an impoverished widow who manages to find a suitable seaside cottage for herself, her maid and her daughter (Natalie Wood), only to discover that its former occupant is a strong-willed, salty sea captain (Rex Harrison) who is opposed to anyone else living at Gull Cottage.
Tierney has her best role since 'Laura' as the lovely widow, engaging in many witty dialogs with Harrison's ghost with their relationship ultimately leading to a wistful ending.
Touches of humor abound in early scenes of Tierney with her relatives who are opposed to her independent decision to find her own lodgings.Later remade as a TV series in the '60s which never captured the charm of the original story filmed with such tender care by director Joseph L.
Lucy Muir, a widow of one year, decides to start life anew, with daughter and faithful housekeeper, in a cottage by the sea, despite the warnings by the real estate salesman that the house is haunted by the ghost of its former owner, a seaman, Capt.
After Mrs. Muir encounters the ghost, the two strike an eerie, yet deep relationship, which grows even more when Lucy, forced to earn the money for payment of the cottage, writes a book about the captain's sea encounters.
A beautiful film from all standpoints, with brilliant performances by Tierney and Harrison, who play extremely well off each other with tender, humorous, and bickering encounters, and Sanders, who is as usual, his charming self.
A touching and romantic ending set this film off as one of the all time great cinematic love stories.
The Ghost and Mrs Muir, while a little pretentious at times, stands out as one of the finest romance films of Hollywood's golden period, and an interesting and entertaining fantasy film to boot.
Gene Tierney, whom I'm becoming a bigger fan of every time I see one of her movies, is the headstrong widow - while Rex Harrison is the cantankerous seaman.
One thing I love about old films is the way that they show how different things are nowadays - this is best shown here by the fact that, in one scene, Rex Harrison is told off for swearing; after saying 'blast'.
There is a constant tension between Gene Tierney (Mrs. Muir) and Rex Harrison (Captain Gregg) that is never really satisfied.
Because of this there is a layer of sad acceptance in the actions of Mrs. Muir and Captain Gregg, which is understandable to all of the audience - this is an emotion that all people are forced to feel at one point or another.From a technical standpoint, the film is obviously in black and white which does nothing to detract from the story.
While a quick glance at my rating confirms that I wouldn't denigrate the film as "hack work", the genre parade is interesting in light of Mankiewicz' stated intent.A central theme throughout The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, directly hinted at a number of times by dialogue about progressivist attitudes in the twentieth century, is that of gender roles.
The ghost (Rex Harrison) of a sea captain will appear and is romanced with the attractive woman but the jealousy incarnated for a suitor (George Sanders) spoil the relationship .It's an agreeable romance story in which the protagonist duo is magnificent .
It's got everything - drama, comedy, romance, fantasy, good acting, solid direction, interesting cinematography, a beautiful score, atmosphere, nice sets, and a well-written script.
All that you can say is that this The Ghost And Mrs. Muir have as the lead characters, the ghost of a dead sea captain and a widow named Muir.The recent widow Muir played by Gene Tierney has decided to rent a cottage by the sea in Edwardian Great Britain, party for solitude and grieving and partly to get away from her interfering in-laws played by Victoria Horne and Isobel Elsom.
George Sanders has a nice supporting part as a living individual much interested in Gene Tierney as well, but who turns out to have a lot less character than meets the eye.The film has been proposed for a remake a few times, maybe it will be some day, but to find players of the ability of Rex Harrison, Gene Tierney, George Sanders and the rest will be a considerable challenge..
Although I don't generally care for Rex Harrison's films - his typical role is that of a slick, sophisticated, superficial snob* - in The Ghost and Mrs Muir he projects a very engaging, masculine warmth and heart as the ghostly mariner, attractive to women and likable to men.
It's a pity that Hollywood seems to have lost its knack for warm-hearted, good-humoured ghost stories like this since the 1950s.*Noel Coward, author of Harrison's greatest success, Blithe Spirit, once told him: "If you weren't the best light-comedy actor of your time, you'd be fit for nothing but selling second-hand Rolls-Royce cars in Curzon Street."** ** For the benefit of readers outside Britain, I should explain that this is an extremely high-class commercial street in the West End of London, formerly the centre of the up-market end of the used-car trade..
Mr. Mankiewicz has the credit of directing this quaint little love cum ghost story, set around the fictitious English coastal area of Whitecliff-By-The Sea and its rustic Gull Cottage around the time of 1900.
Gene Tierney is appropriately proper and pinched (it's a period piece, after all), but she subtley blooms and has great chemistry with enchantingly buffoonish Rex Harrison, who isn't afraid to look like a windbag and yet makes points on Mrs. Muir besides.
The scene where she looks at Gull Cottage for the first time is beautifully photographed with great music as we enter the "haunted house." The only thing I found puzzling was why or how Mrs. Muir could rent the cottage for like 40+ years!
Eschewing grand proclamations of passion and overblown romance, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) is a lovely, quiet little film that gets under your skin.
Combined with Gene Tierney's performance as the independent young widow and a very virile Rex Harrison as the ghostly sea captain who inspires her to write a book about his adventures, this is one of the best cinematic romances out there..
This film is great to watch if you like romantic movies and/or ghost stories.
Rex Harrison is superb as the ghost of a sea captain, trying to scare a widow ( Gene Tierney ) and her daughter ( Natalie Wood ) from his house after they rent it.
Gene Tierney was beautiful as Lucy Muir; she struck a perfect balance between portraying a young, vulnerable widow and a strong, independent woman.
Rex Harrison, playing the gruff yet lovable captain, manages to bring a lovely melancholy element to the film while at the same time injecting it with doses of humor to keep the mood from being somber.
Gene Tierney is stunningly beautiful as the independent widow Mrs. Lucy Muir, who takes her daughter (Natalie Wood) and housekeeper (Edna Best) along with her to live in the seaside abode known as Gull Cottage.
It is essentially perfect from every point of view: the direction by Mankiewicz, the acting by Gene Tierney (Mrs. Muir), Rex Harrison (captain Gregg), George Sanders, the performances by the supporting cast, the beautiful cinematography and the evocative setting on the lonely shores of Southern England.
Rex Harrison plays essentially the same role he plays in "Anna and the King of Siam>" (In my view, that is a considerably better movie.) He also is much as he is in the brilliant "Unfaithfully Yours." That said, he is very good as the salty but slightly sentimental sea captain -- or ghost of a sea captain.Gene Tierney plays a very independent woman.
Mendocino, California?One of the wonderful aspects of this film is its intimacy....until the last scene in the film, the leading man (a ghost) and the leading woman never touch, embrace, or kiss....yet a marvelous intimacy is exchanged between Lucy (Tierney), and 'the Captain' (Harrison), ....and with the audience.
I actually wish there would be a new film adaptation of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, not because I think there is anything wrong with the first film adaptation, but because I think a new generation should be introduced to good supernatural romantic fiction and opposed to what is currently trendy and sadly many of the current generation won't watch a black and white film or read a novel more than twenty years old because they make negative assumptions about the content such as assuming it would be out dated, stuffy, cheesy or hard to follow.
This is a charming and romantic period piece with two truly great actors portraying the Ghost: Rex Harrison and Mrs. Muir: Gene Tierney.
It was way too slow, especially in the second half of the film.Oh, it's nice to admire Gene Tierney's beautiful face and George Sanders usually plays an intriguing character but the rest is just typical what-I-call "Hollywood theology" in which everyone goes to heaven or comes back to earth as ghosts.
Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, George Sanders and Natalie Wood all have an unfortunate or scandalous story attached to them.Back to the film, it's easy-going and stays with you after it has finished..
What we're expected to believe is so unrealistic, that this widow (Gene Tierney) rents out a cottage haunted by the ghost of an old sea captain (Rex Harrison), that she can see him and yet never tries to touch him, that she puts up with him sleeping in her bedroom, and that the two have what seems to be a normal relationship.
Muir, played by the incredibly beautiful Gene Tierney, soon discovers the root of the brokers objections: the cottage is haunted by its former owner, a wily sea captain, Daniel Gregg.
More playful scenes of Rex Harrison harassing the living, more depth to the relationship between Mrs. Muir and Gregg, and a better sense of the long passage of time following the early eventful years would be welcome.
In some ways it is comical, thanks to Rex Harrison's irascibility; he, in this movie once a sea captain, is the ghost of the house into which Lucy Muir (played so well by the very beautiful and appealing Gene Tierney) moves with her little daughter (performed by the precious Natalie Wood at about age nine.) Yes, you had to laugh at Harrison when he does become so unbearable toward Gene Tierney.
In 1900, a young widow (Gene Tierney) finds her seaside cottage is haunted...and forms a unique relationship with the ghost (Rex Harrison).While not the most celebrated film of its era, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" has a few accolades to its name.
Mankiewicz directed this classic romantic ghost story that stars Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir, a recently widowed woman who moves in(along with her daughter, played by Natalie Wood) with her in-laws, but feels oppressed living under the same roof, so buys a seaside cottage overlooking the English coast that turns out to be haunted by the ghost of Captain Gregg(played by Rex Harrison) the original owner, who is quite disagreeable, yet he and Lucy come to an understanding, and he even agrees to let her "ghost write" his autobiography, which turns out to be a success.
Rex Harrison is great as the ghost of a cantankerous sea captain who haunts the seaside house of widow Gene Tierney.
And finally George Sanders, whose very appearance is a giveaway that his character is up to know good, but you have to admit slimy cynicism was never so enjoyable.At a time when dramas were turning into convoluted, twisting thrillers, The Ghost and Mrs Muir is a beautifully straightforward story.
Recently widowed Lucy Muir {Gene Tierney}, decides she has had enough of her overbearing in-laws and moves herself and her daughter out to Gull Cottage.
A lovely place atop of a cliff and overlooking the sea, Gull Cottage has one other significant factor, it has the ghost of the previous owner and builder of the cottage, Captain Gregg {Rex Harrison} in residence.Long before Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore were apparently putting the supernatural romance on the map, came this sweet, tender and funny Joseph L.
Pleasantly enjoyable fantasy film from the late 1940's bolstered by two fine lead performances from Rex Harrison (in his first cinematic outing in a ghostly plot, this time as the haunting ghost - a few years later he was being haunted himself by ghosts in David Lean's "Blithe Spirit") and Gene Tierney, atmospheric background music from the celebrated Bernard Herrman and persuasive direction from Joseph Mankiewicz.
Rex Harrison is magnificent as Captain Gregg, and George Sanders is his devilish self as Miles Fairley.Therefore, I give "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" a 10 out of 10..
Gene Tierney's great beauty adds poignancy to the story, but Rex Harrison makes the Captain into a man worth waiting for until you get to "the other side." One of the very few movies guaranteed to make me cry every time..
Gene Tierney as Mrs. Muir, is a beautiful widow, who is very proper, yet grows tolerant of the captains salty ways.
A good, but not fabulous movie is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, a movie which tells the tale of a recent (well, OK, 1 year +) who decides to rent a house, much to the realtor's horror, that is haunted by the sea captain who once lived there years ago.
The stars of the film are Rex Harrison as the gruff but lovable Captain and pretty Gene Tierney as strong-willed Lucy Muir.
Rex Harrison is at his charming best as a rugged deceased Sea Captain who haunts a small sea side cottage which is occupied by an independent widow, the impossibly beautiful Gene Tierney.
George Sanders also plays his role to slimy perfection!Another thing that I love about this movie is the haunting score, by Bernard Hermann, the amazing black and white cinematography...I could go on all day about the wonderful aspects of this film!
The Ghost and Mrs. MuirThe difference between landlubber and seafaring ghosts is the latter's ectoplasm reeks of chum.Mind you, scent isn't enough to ward of the widow in this romance.Moving with her daughter (Natalie Wood) to a cottage on the English seaside, the independently wealth Mrs. Muir (Gene Tierney) soon finds her new home is haunted by the previous owner Daniel Gregg (Rex Harrison), an ornery sea captain.When Mrs. Muir's fortune vanishes, her transparent tenant proposes she pen his biography, and live off the royalties.During the process, the two grow fond of each another.
The word that best describes Rex Harrison as the Ghost is dynamic and Gene Tierney as Lucy Muir is innocently beautiful in favorable way.
This is a gloriously charming romantic comedy/fantasy, that should be shared with everyone.Gene Tierney gives a tender performance as the widow, Lucy Muir, who decides to leave the home of her stifling, controlling in-laws to make a new life for herself and her young daughter Anna (Natalie Wood).
It is NOT a comedy but a very touching romance about a woman (Gene Tierney) and her daughter (played by a young Natalie Wood) moving into the home of a deceased sea captain.
This powerful romantic gem rich in human warmth and spirt and moments of rare humor brought together screen legends Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison.Lucy Muir (Tierney), a young widow, moves into a seaside cottage with her maid, Martha (Edna Best), and her daughter, Anna (Natalie Wood).
She's one of my all time favorites.With its heartwarming story, acting and Oscar nominated cinematography, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a moving classic in Hollywood's best style. |
tt0119051 | The Edge | Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins), a billionaire, and two other men, Robert "Bob" Green (Alec Baldwin), a photographer, and Stephen (Harold Perrineau), his assistant, arrive in a remote North America locale via Charles's private jet, along with Charles's much-younger wife, Mickey (Elle MacPherson), a beautiful fashion model. The group is here for a photo shoot and are the only guests at a lodge. Styles (L.Q. Jones), the proprietor, warns everyone that the region is inhabited by bears and not to leave food uncovered. The party also celebrate Charles' birthday, and Mickey gives him an engraved pocket watch. Bob's present is an expensive hunting knife.When Bob's male model gets sick, he invites Charles to fly with him and Stephen to a different location where a characterized Indian is hunting. In mid-air, Charles, suspecting Bob and Mickey are having an affair after he sees Bob kiss Mickey on the cheek, cryptically asks how Bob is planning to kill him. Before the conversation goes any further, the plane suddenly hits a flock of birds and nose-dives into a lake, killing the pilot. Charles, Bob, and Stephen barely escape safely to shore.Lost, wet, and freezing, the men, knowing the plane was off course, attempt to hike to a more likely search area, only to find that a Kodiak Bear is stalking them. They elude it, but later that night, the Bear attacks their camp and kills Stephen.On the run from the Bear, Charles and Bob have little chance of rescue. Though not an outdoorsman, Charles draws upon his encyclopedic survival knowledge to guide them, and the men work together, bonding somewhat. The Bear finds them, and in a struggle on a river bed, Charles impales it with a hand-carved spear, saving Bob's life.The two find an empty hunters' cabin containing some supplies, a rifle, and a canoe. As Charles is about to use the paper receipt from Mickey's birthday gift as tinder to light the stove, he notices on it that she also bought Bob an expensive wristwatch engraved with an intimate inscription. Charles realizes that Bob and Mickey are indeed having an affair and that Bob is going to kill him to obtain his wealth and wife. Bob drinks to prepare himself, causing Charles to lament that Bob is unable to kill him sober.As Bob is about to shoot him, Charles lures Bob into a "deadfall" pit left by hunters. Bob suffers a mortal wound, but rather than leaving him to die, Charles transports him downriver by canoe. They make camp, hoping a search party finds them there. Bob apologizes for betraying Charles and says Mickey was never involved in the murder plot. A rescue helicopter appears and spots them, but Bob dies before it lands.Back at the lodge, Charles hands Bob's watch to Mickey, his expression implying that he knows about her adultery. He then declares to the gathered press that his friends died, "saving my life." | suspenseful, prank, violence, romantic | train | imdb | Boy, here's an intense film, a survival-in-the-wilderness adventure/thriller starring the unlikely duo of Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin.
It's not hard to guess who's the villain, in addition to a man-eating bear who stalks the two of them after their plane crashes in the woods of Alaska.The sophistication of Hopkins, playing an extremely smart man, battling the crude Baldwin, who is insanely jealous of Hopkins' possessions, including his gorgeous wife (Elle McPherson), is intriguing to watch.
So is the great scenery and best-of-all, a great action story that has you focused intently for the full two hours.A human characteristic so often ignored in films the past half century is put on display here: compassionate forgiveness.
I first saw this movie in 97 when it first came out.I had barely heard of Baldwin,Hopkins or Perrineau.It turned out to be one of those movies I sat on the "edge" of my seat and was stunned by the ending.I sat there,mouth agape.I found I had a deep respect for all three actors.This movie,in every discernible way,is a masterpiece.The cinematography is breathtaking.The musical score is one of the most beautiful themes I have ever heard.The plot is smooth and the acting superb.I had heard of Baldwin but had not thought he was a great actor until seeing The Edge.Hopkins has made some great movies but this one..well it my personal favorite.The subtleties are numerous,the suspense captivating and the message is profound.The bear is without a doubt frightening and primal.This movie evoked emotions in me that were also primal.And the ending?
It is the best ending to any movie I have ever seen.Perhaps you might have to appreciate the complexities of human nature as well as the action sequences in The Edge to get the most out of the viewing experience.It truly is the best of both worlds..
Anthony Hopkins as always turns in a great performance but the big suprise is Alec Baldwin who did just as well.
This film has some of the best dialogue ever written for a movie of this type, and the action scenes are clever and blazingly paced.
The Edge reminded me of the old Kipling quote, that to be a superior man means to keep your head when everyone around you is loosing theirs!Its is my favorite survival film, & one of the best of Baldwin & Hopkin's careers.
This is one fine movie, and the performances by Hopkins (one of my favorite actors today) and Baldwin are superb.
A Morality Play in an Immoral Age. A very strong performance by Anthony Hopkins, Bart the Bear, and Alec Baldwin, in that order, in a film that deals with the important subjects of virtue, wisdom, and morality.
This has got to be one of the best films i have seen it defeantly rates in the top 20 on my list, beautiful scenes, very original idea, great acting, and edge of your seat excitement.
This is an action adventure movie and so Mamet is not trying to make any great philosophical point.
And, of course, a furry killing machine that can smell a man from 10 miles and run through the forest at 30 mph!Charles, (Anthony Hopkins' erudite billionaire character) starts out as the vulnerable, isolated character of the film.
In his self-effacing way, he confesses to knowing a lot "in theory" but not being great at "practical application".So when the plane crashes into an icy lake, Charles is the one for whom you most fear but that's when all the surprises start..........The biggest disappointment for me is that a fine actor such as Harold Perrineau finds himself playing a role that is a classical Hollywood cliché, the nice black guy who gets killed.
Well, it's actually very well shot and some very nice writing by Mamet.Many people probably haven't even heard of this picture, the title is uninspiring but the film isn't.The direction is superb, the widescreen frame is filled with details and characters use the 2.35:1 scope very well.
I don't think the actors had enough depth, but overall not bad.The picture is about survival and that's all I will say.The final frames are disappointing, should've been handled better.The director did a terrific job capturing the Alaska terrain.As usual, please view this picture in widescreen otherwise people you would have only seen 57% of the picture.
The Edge (1997)This is a fun wilderness adventure movie with some terrific acting by both Alec Baldwin (as a spoiled bad boy) and Anthony Hopkins (as a very smart millionaire).
Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin at their best, Hopkins is has this uncanny calmness about him throughout the movie, it spooks you and apparently spooks Alecs character in the film.
It is easily one of the best survival films that I have ever seen.The film is about billionaire Charles (Anthony Hopkins) who goes on trip to Alaska for a photo shoot with his wife (Elle Mcpherson).
After traveling with photographer Bob (Alec Baldwin) to a remote cabin 80 miles North of where they were staying they have their plane crash and are forced to find a way back to where they came from and forced to survive in the wild.The story is great and easy to follow.
Make-Up merits a special mention.Performance-Wise: Sir Anthony Hopkins & Alec Baldwin are in great from.
Anthony Hopkins plays billionaire Charles Morse, a bookish man who is married to a much younger woman(played by Elle McPherson) who is coveted by her photographer(Alec Baldwin) The two men, as well as an assistant(played by Harold Perrineau) are flown into a remote location in the Alaskan wilderness, when they are struck by a flock of birds, causing them to crash in the lake, killing the pilot, and placing the three survivors in a life and death struggle with not only the harsh elements, but a huge Kodiak bear that smells blood...Harrowing adventure drama from writer David Mamet is well directed by Lee Tamahori and acted by the leads, especially Anthony Hopkins, whose transformation from bookish introvert to determined survivalist is believable(they're not mutually exclusive anyway!) Relationship among the men is a bit muddled, especially after the climax, but solid thriller is also compelling and frightening.Not a film for people with a fear of bears....
Of course let us not forget the performance by the amazing Bart The Bear,recently after learning that he had passed away some years ago I watched a documentary about him and his owners/trainers said that when the camera's rolled it was almost as if Bart knew he was on camera and in The Edge you can certainly tell..he gives in my opinion some of the most god-damn scary looks given by a Kodiak Bear you'll ever see on the big screen..watching the final showdown between bear and man its enough to give you goose bumps..Bart is right there with the actors,swinging his oh so massive claws inches away from both Hopkins and Baldwin and giving the performance I think all who knew him and his work will remember him for..again its a shame there isn't an Oscar for best animal performer.
A good number of people criticize THE EDGE for its implausibility when set against actual wilderness survival, and I agree with them on that point.
Overall,I would say this film is a must see,especially with the great cast-Elle Macpherson,Antony Hopkins,Alec Baldwin....
I waited forever for it to come out on DVD, and when it finally did, I watched it twice.The acting is best in the word plays between Charles (Hopkins) and Robert (Baldwin).
The movie becomes less about the bear that is chasing them, and less about survival, and more about the dark side of human nature and the best side.
The Edge is filled with action and suspense with surprising turn after surprising turn as the characters played by Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin try to find their way out of the wilderness following a plane crash.Baldwin and Hopkins both give outstanding performances in this refreshing adventure movie.
including many on this site who use $100 words and spend too much time wishing they had a life.In my humble opinion, Baldwin and Hopkins provided some of the best acting moments I've seen in their careers.
He wonders if she's having an affair with her photographer Bob (Alec Baldwin).Charles gets stranded in the Northewest wilderness and is forced to confront three types of nature: First, he must contend with wilderness nature itself (the movie was filmed in breath-taking Alberta and British Columbia).
His colossal store of mostly worthless knowledge actually becomes useful.There are a couple "Yeah, right" Hollywood implausibilities -- for instance, the bear shaking the tree as the guys cross the river (an homage to King Kong) -- but, for the most part, the story plays out realistically."The Edge" addresses many powerful and worthy themes including Rebirth & renewal, confronting & overcoming incredible challenges, and, perhaps most potent of all, triumphing over evil through goodwill and forgiveness.*** SPOILER ALERT *** Don't read the next paragraph if you haven't seen the movie.Some may scoff at that last one but, after Charles gains the upperhand over Bob at the end, Bob sincerely repents of his wicked deeds before he ultimately dies (the 'wicked deeds' being his intention to kill Charles for his wife & wealth).
This is definitely a movie worthy of repeat viewings.BOTTOM LINE: If all you want out of "The Edge" is a great adventurous survival story with spectacular scenery, you'll definitely get it, yet it profoundly (and unexpectedly) offers so much more.
Even Anthony Hopkins is quoted after filming that Alec Baldwin was the only actor that ever surprised him.
I enjoyed every minute of this movie because it blends action, adventure in drama (and some comic relief) so nicely into one short film Add it to your collection!.
I like David Mamet's films, and so I was interested in checking out this movie, written by him.
And then there's another layer, that being of testing one's true character in challenging situations.Alec Baldwin does a good job as he can, but Anthony Hopkins is simply awesome here, and I'm not usually a fan of his.
A bookish billionaire (Oscar-Winner:Anthony Hopkins), a self-satisfied fashion photographer (Alec Baldwin) and his assistant (Harold Perrnieau) find themselves stranded in the freezing Alaskan Wilderness, after they survived the plane crash.
They will do anything to fight for survival and find themselves back to civilization.Directed by Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day, Once Were Warriors, xXx:State of the Nation) made an extremely entertaining action adventure with fine characterization by Hopkins and Baldwin.
OK..so I am not a big fan of survival in the wilderness movies but I watched this one because of Anthony Hopkins ( who just happens to be one of my favorites).I must say it was superb from start to finish!!I found myself very immersed in the entire film.Let me say a few words about the actors....Anthony did a great job in this film.
Our own Aussie girl Elle McPherson has a small role which she played well and portrayed her character very well.Gripping storyline, fantastic scenery and a real sense of drama made this one of the best movies I have seen in a long while.
I like the acting of Anthonie Hopkins.The pictures looks very realistic and the fight with the bear was for me very impressive.
"The Edge" boasts Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin at their best.
You would think that alone would be more than enough to carry a movie, but this film also has breathtaking Alaskan scenery, eye catching cinematography, a top notch score by Goldsmith, and a fantastic script by David Mamet.
I left that theatre in awe of one of the best action/adventure movies I've ever seen.Cinematography, dialogue, characterization, tension, a bear, Mamet, and setting all give this movie 5 stars.I've only clenched my seat for a few movies, seeing that bear made me hold on for dear life..
because he is smarter than the panther.How did his partners die, Morse was asked, and he answered (after the longest painful reflection) that "they died trying to save me." Perhaps he said "they died saving me," I don't remember exactly, but it is the pivotal intelligence, the moment upon which the whole story turns, for with the chillest irony, it is true: They "saved" him; through them he was saved-and so, we may speak praise for the writer, or the storyteller here, David Mamet.At the opening scene (or an early one, in act two we may call it), in their constellation as three men now explicitly confronting the larger (not particularly human) nature, Morse reflects of men lost in the wilderness, some lore that "they die of shame," not of some other, and more likely, extreme or duress.
. because he is smarter than the panther."We may speak praise for the writer, or the storyteller here, David Mamet.At the opening scene (or an early one, in act two we may call it), in their constellation as three men now explicitly confronting the larger (not human particularly) nature, Morse reflects of men lost in the wilderness, some lore that "they die of shame," not some other, and more likely, duress.We have the voracity of that actual creature of the wilderness (the brown bear, the Kodiak, not the savage unconscious's man-hunting bear, this time) on the scent of human blood to contend with, and this hunger decreases the number of our party of three.
This movie is great!I loved every second of it!This movie is chilling with the performances by Hopkins and Baldwin.The battle scene with the bear is awesome and the ending is good too.I recommend this to anyone who loves action films.(8 out of 10).
Sir Anthony Hopkins does an excellent job and Alec Baldwin is good as the young, jealous "know-it-all." Although there are some particularly disturbing scenes with a ton of blood and gore, this is still one of the best movies there is, so go and see The Edge!.
Anthony Hopkins is the bomb of all actors and no one exemplifies a charismatic, good-looking bad guy better than Alec Baldwin.
It's almost not that important to know much about the background about the characters, but Mamet even gives a little bit of edge, no pun intended, with the animosity of Baldwin at Hopkins.
Suspenseful throughout, this is a good character study in which Hopkins as usual is excellent, and Alec Baldwin is in the best rôle I have seen him in.
The second viewing of this film recently did not bore me one little bit, as the two main characters play their parts with great conviction, helped along by Mamet's dialogues which at times sounded more like a playwrite than a cinematographic script.
If this movie had been given a better title, "Lost in the Woods" or "Survivors & Killers", it would have garnered the respect it deserves.Fine performances by the entire cast, an incredibly terrifying bear attack sequence and the complex interpersonal relationship between the billionaire (Hopkins) and the man (Baldwin)who covets his wife make this a memorable movie all around.
A generally bland wilderness survival movie, "The Edge" gets off to a slow start with a setup that's too long and characters that are not especially interesting, despite that they are conveniently photogenic.
The movie had a lot of action/adventure sequences, and the acting was great, including the brilliant Anthony Hopkins.
From this pedestrian-sounding premise comes a movie that is really about the relationship that develops between two very different men: a brilliant, intellectual billionaire, played with characteristic genius by Anthony Hopkins, and a fashion photographer, played by Alec Baldwin.
And you can't ask for more from a movie than that.Anthony Hopkins is the paranoid rich guy with the beautiful young model wife (Elle MacPherson).
Hopkins in particular turns in one of his great under-stated performances, and the film as a whole is as good a character study as you will find in modern Hollywood.But as I say above, its best recommendation is that it is just a damn good story.
The Edge is an engrossing motion picture starring the master himself,Sir Anthony Hopkins and co-starring Alec Baldwin, who does some nice work here.
Hopkins and Baldwin go out and crash a plane in the wilderness that starts a long adventurous trek back to the cabin complete with a mankiller bear tracking them to their death.
I thought David Mamet was washed up as a screenwriter and Alec Baldwin as an actor but this film put those fears to rest.
In a scene between Charles (Anthony Hopkins) and Bob (Alec Baldwin), they are discussing how to 'lure' or bait the bear so that they have the possibility of killing it.
In The Edge he plays a rich man stranded in the Alaskian wilderness with two lesser smart men (played by Alec Baldwin and Harold Perrineau) and they all try to survive while they search to be rescued.
Anthony Hopkins, a man with Bloomberg like wealth and without a Trump like personality his wife supermodel Elle MacPherson, her photographer Alec Baldwin and Baldwin's assistant Harold Perrineau are off on a rugged wilderness vacation in Alaska where they will stay at L.Q. Jones's hunting lodge.
Billionaire Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins) joins his model wife Mickey (Elle Macpherson) on a photo shoot with brash photographer Bob Green (Alec Baldwin) and his assistant Stephen (Harold Perrineau).
Hopkins alone is reason enough to watch this film, then add the intensity of Alec Baldwin, and you have yourself a winner..
Typically this is "Call of the Wild" with a Saturday Morning Adventure setting (hidden secrets, betrayals, etc.) But Hopkin's profound performance (and character) makes the movie worthy of a single good watch..
But the film is rubbish.Idiotic modelling theme put in with Alec Baldwin (who is usually an excellent actor, like in Nuremberg, etc.) playing a photographer.
Hopkins plays billionaire Charles Morse flying into Alaska with his model trophy wife, Mickey, for a fashion shoot with Alec Baldwin playing the photographer, Bob Green.
Two very good performances - Anthony Hopkins and the Kodiak Bear. |
tt0453560 | Toxic | The plot of the movie was not told in a straight forward fashion and had past and present mixed together. Below is the plot pulled apart and pieced back together in chronological order.Lucille is suffering from a mental disorder from her brother dying when she was young and her father never forgiving her for it. It is never revealed how the brother died or why her father blames her but it made her mentally unstable. A big part of the movie is that helping her will get you killed so it is a possibility that she was already unstable and when her brother tried to help her, he was killed. But since these details are not in the movie, its unclear. Thomas, who also stole money from her father, his boss, was the one who had her committed to "save her" and didn't tell her father where she was. Sid and Antoine, who also work for her father, go after Thomas because of the money but Thomas tries to get away by saying he knows where Lucille is. Van Sant, her father, then sends them to find Lucille and keep her away from him. Meanwhile, Lucille escaped from the hospital and Gus, her doctor, has left to find her.Next we find out about Angel, who used to work for Van Sant but now owns a brothel, and about Nadine who works for him. She wants to quit and go back to school but Angel says she can't until some "new blood" comes in. A short while later she finds Lucille in an ally and brings her to Angel, hoping she will take her place. But when Lucille is attacked on her first day, Angel has to rescue her and takes her to his girlfriend's, Malvi's, apartment. Nadine sees this and gets very upset. While Lucille is telling Angel who her father is, Nadine rolls off the top of the building and kills herself. This leads Sid and Antoine to the brothel where they ask about Lucille. Angel's goons attack them and soon Angel and more goons show up which causes an even bigger gun battle. During this, two unknown men go to see Van Sant and kill him along with Lena, his fortune teller. After the battle, Angel returns to Malvi's apartment but is interrupted in the middle of their agreed "special knock" by Sid and so, thinking he is someone else, Malvi shoots him. Sid then goes into the apartment and is attacked by Malvi which causes him to drop his gun. Lucille then picks it up and shoots him.Lucille can't live with what she has done and so "becomes" Sid, her mind living with two distinct personalities, and eventually forces the one that is causing pain, Lucille, away and "kills" it. From that moment on the character Lucille becomes the character Sid, the one we see working in the bar. The Sid that was looking for Lucille and was in the gun battle is dead and the Sid that is working in the bar and falling for Michelle is Lucille who believes she is Sid. For the rest of the plot, "Sid" is referring to Lucille as Sid and not the actual man. Also, all the other characters see Sid as Lucille, as a girl, and it is only Lucille that sees her reflection as that of Sid, a man.Lucille, as Sid, leaves the apartment and starts walking down the road where Steve finds her and picks her up. He allows Sid to stay in the attic of his strip club in exchange for working there. Gus comes in one night and is shocked to see Lucille but surprised that she thinks she is Sid. He decides not to tell her directly and instead tries to use his psychology training to pull Lucille out again. Sid later begins to see things as Lucille's personality tries to "retake" her body and mind. But since Sid doesn't know anything about Lucille in that sense, he believes he is seeing ghosts and so runs out of the club screaming and hitches a ride from someone to go see Michelle, who lives in a hotel. Sid begins to fall for Michelle and so kisses her, she kisses back but then stops and says she can't because she has a daughter (remember she sees Sid as the girl she is). Next the father of Michelle's daughter tries to manipulate her into being with him but when she refuses, he says he is going to seek full custody of their daughter. Michelle goes to Steve for money but he says there is only one way for her to get it which is to sleep with customers. Michelle agrees and Steve sets her up with Greg. When he won't wear a condom however, they fight and Michelle has Simon run him off. Simon then tries to get Sid to "work" (sleep with customers) for him but Sid, interpreting Simon's "interests" totally the wrong way (as Lucille truly believes she is a man), accuses Simon of being gay and so Simon attacks him. Steve tells Sid that he is fired but Michelle asks Steve to give him one more chance and he tells her to take Sid to a doctor friend of his.Michelle decides to do some digging during this and calls Sid to tell him that she found some information on the girl he is "seeing". When she tells Sid about what she has found though he tells her not to come into work. He then goes to confront Steve and says he thinks Steve killed Lucille. Steve says that it was Sid who really killed her (it is unclear how he knows this but it is probable that Gus has told him). Sid refuses to listen and continues to accuse Steve before shooting him in the back and taking his money. Next Michelle return home, having not gone to work, to find information about Lucille at her door which gives her a picture of the girl that she knows as Sid (it is presumed that Gus left it there as he shows up quickly later on). A car pulls up and she thinks it's Steve but when Sid gets out, she runs away from him. She is scared of him and asks why he has Steve's money and car. Sid wants to run away with her but Michelle confronts him about him not really being a man. Sid completely ignores that and is instead happy that Michelle found information Lucille.Gus shows up just then and Sid points the gun at him, asking what he did to Lucille. Gus says Lucille is dead because she couldn't live with what she had done. He gets the gun away from Sid and asks if he loves Michelle, which he says yes too, and then Gus kills Michelle to force Lucille "out". Several flashbacks occur about the characters and their comments referring to the fact that Sid is a girl and Lucille is finally forced out while Sid is lost forever. Afterwards, Gus takes Lucille away but she says she doesn't like being herself and so gets him to pull over with the promise of sex before she kills him to "become" him like she did Sid. She, now as Gus, leaves the car and starts walking down the road where Greg later finds her and picks her up. Greg believes it's "Sid", as that's how he knows "her" and asks if she remembers him, but since she is now Gus she says doesn't. | murder | train | imdb | null |
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